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THE
vVOODSTOCK LETTERS
A RECORD
OF CURRENT EVENTS AND HISTORICAL NOTES CONNECTED
WITH THE COLLEGES AND MISSIONS OF THE
SO..::IETY OF JESUS.
VOL. I.
WOODSTOCK COLLEGE,
1872.
Pn'nted for private circulation on!;•.
��CONTENTS.
- :0:PAGE
An Historical Sketch of Father Andrew ·white, S. J., the
Apo tle of .Maryland
Father White's Relation
1
12, 71, 145
Letter from Father Du Ranqnct to Very Rev. Father Bapst
-Thunder Bay Station
25
Extract of a Letter from Father Ferard-l!anitouline, Lake
H~~llita~
H
Extracts of a Letter from l!r. Drummond-St. Mary's College, }!ontreal
28
Special Protection of our College and Parish during the
"Chicago Fire"
30
Letter from Florissant.
38
Buffalo Mission-Letter from }[r. Gnldner
45
Letter from St. Louis
52
Letter from Father Prnchcnsky-Emigrants' Refuge
Hospital, Ward's Island, N. Y.
~d
57
Letter from Central America-Corinth, Nicaragua
63
An Account of a Miraculous Cure effected at Boston, 1\fassaehusetts, by the use of the · ~ ¥Vater of Lourdes"
08
The Condition of the Province of Mexico in June, 1707
0
Fort Hill and Environs-Villa of the New York and Canada :1\Iission
87
Extract from a Letter of Father F. X. Kuppens, S. J.
-Grand River, Dakota Territory
106
Letter from Father Ponziglione to Very Rev. Father O'Neil
-Osage lllisslon, Neosho Co., Kansas .
111
Father J. U. Hnnipaux
122
Mission at St. Ignatius', Mountain, Adams Co., Pa.
...
127
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CONTENTS.
PAGE
Lenten Mission! by the Fathers of th e Nontiate, Frederick, Md.
l~
L etter from Florissant
136
St. Joseph hears the Prayer of the Poor.-Lett er from Cincinnati
138
Extracts of Letters from Abroad.-Negaputmu, Nmuur
141
Georgetown College
156
Foundation of the College of Belen at Ha>una
163
Letter from St. Louis
Father W eniuger on tlte Pacific Coast
174
181
Au Incident in the Life of Father .f eter Kenny
188
A Fa>or of our Blessed Lady
1!)1
Father ~Ialdonado
1!)4
Father Olivaiut :tnd his Companions
203
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�WOODSTOCK LETTERS.
VoL.
1,
No.
1.- JANUARY, 1872.
AN HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF FATHER ANDREW WHITE, S. ].,
THE APOSTLE OF MARYLAND.
Non recedet memoritL rjus, et 110men ej-us requiretur a generatione ·in gene·
rationem. Eccl. ·39. 1a.
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Merry England in the days of Charles I. was not a pleasant home for Catholics who feared God more than men,
and who loved their faith better than station, wealth and
quiet lives. True, the old fires about the stake no longer
lit up with bal eful glare the fair fields around; rarely did
the rough hurdle with its load of victims wake harsh echoes
as it trundled up Tyburn Hill : but cruel penal laws were
vigorously enforced and the religion of Ethdred and Edward the Confessor was prescribed in the land.
To understand the exact condition of Catholicity in England at this period is not an easy task, so many are the apparent contradictions found in the historical records of the
time. That Catholics should feel themselves forced to go
into exile, there to enjoy the rights of conscience which
were denied them at home-for such was undoubtedly the
impelling motive of the Maryland settlement,-and on the
other hand that their influence at Court was powerful
enough to secme a charter with provisions so liberal, are
facts not readily reconcilable. So far as historical relics en-
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All Historical Sketc/z of
Fath~r
AndrrdJ l Vlzite.
able us to judge, th ei r position seems to have been somewhat the foll owing . Persecutions were so much less violent under Charles I. that his reign came to be designated
"a period of mildness." This expression was applicable,
however, relat ive ly only t o the harsh times o f Elizabeth
and her im mediate successor, as a few extracts from contemporaneous accounts show. "From the year 16 28," says
Dr. Challoner, "till 1641, I find no more blood shed for religious matters, though as to other penalties they were fre quently inflicted upon priests and other Catholi cs : in one
year alone there were twe nty-six priests .seized and committed to that one prison called the Clink, to speak nothing
of those that were confined elsewhere." The statutes in
force, imposed a fi ne of £20 on popish rccusants fo r every
month they abse nted themselves from the Protestant church .
. No public office was open to them; retaining arms in thei r
homes was fo rbidden; they were debarred from instituting
lawsuits and no Catholic could travel five miles from home
without a speci al lice nse under pain of forfeitin g all his
goods. Most _ h uman of all was the law fo rbid ding a Pain
pist to educate his child in his own religion, under fine of
£ 10 a month if the instruction were gi\·en at horne, or of
£ 100, and the incapacitation of the child from inheriting,
pu rchasing or enj oyin g any lands, goods, profits a nd so
forth, if the education. were conduCted abroad.
On the other side, we find that wealthy Catholics gained
a show of toleration by compromisi ng in the paym ent of
large sums of mo ney to the kin g, who , harasse<.i ·by th ose
financial di fficulties the final iss ue of which brought his
head to the block, " reckoned of greater worth than their
blood the money of the Papists."
Under circumstances of this nature , we may concl ude
that the Catholi cs of E ngla nd fou ntl little to attach th em
to their native land, and unuer the tlireClion of the pi01is
Sir George Calvert whose services to the crown had procu red h im exceptional favor with the reigning. monarch
they cast about for an asy lum in some othe r land, where
�Atz H istorical Sketch of Father Andrew White.
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proscription for conscience mi ght cease, and the praClice of
their faith be possible in peace and ·security.
The beautiful country around the waters of the Chesapeake, cheering accounts of which had been brought by
odd journeyers to the Vi rginia colony, invited their efforts.
Sir George Calvert applied to Charles I. for a patent to establish a colony on unappropriated lands lying contiguous
to the Chesapeake, a nd the king, remembering that nobleman's services to his father, and moved, perhaps, by the intercession of his pious queen Henrietta Maria, issued the
desired letters, June 1632, and assigned to the land therein
ceded to Lord Baltimore, th e name of Ma ryland, in honor
of his queen.
Sir George Calvert having died before the execution of
these letters pat~nt, his son Cecil, who succeeded to his father's title and ri ghts, applied to Father-Blount, the first provincial of the English Province and to the general, Mutius
Vitelleschi, for some members of the Society "to attend the
Catholic planters and settle rs and to convert the native
Indians." For this double objeCt so consonant with the
spirit of the Society, Fr. Andrew White was direCled to accompany the Maryland pilgrims, and to him was assigned
as a companion Fr. J ohn Altham. Th e wisdom of the
choice which placed at the head of the mission the future
Apostle of Mary land, subsequent events admirably vindicated.
Fr. Andrew \Nhite was born in London about the year
1579. Of his early life, no in fo rmation has come down to
us. Forced abroad by the inhuman enactments against the
education of Catholic youth, he entered the celebrated college at D ouay, founded by Cardinal Allen for the instruction of priests desti ned to missionary labors in England.
That his success in studies must have been remarkable, we
gather from the important positions afterwards held by him
in the seminaries of the Society.
On his ordination, somewhat about the year 1004, he
repaired to England, there to assume the perilous duties of
�4
An Historical Sketch of Fatlzer Andrew Wlzite.
a missionary priest. vVith zeal native to the great soul he
bore, he labored for a year or two, cheered rather than deterred by the prospect of martyrdom never far removed,
since by English law it was high treason in an English subject to return as a priest from beyond the seas and not conform within three days to the established church. His stay
in England was not prolonged, for in 16o6 his name occurs
in a" list of forty-seven priests who were from different prisons sent into perpetual exile." God denied him this happiness to which he aspired, of laying down his life in testimony of England's old faith; but while thus refusing him
the honor of martyrdom, He held in reserve for his faithful servant the no less glorious labors of a singularly fruitful Apostleship. Foiled in his object of working on the
English mission, Fr. White, at the age of 28, applied for
admission into the Society of Jesus, and began his noviceship at Louvain on the 1st of February, 1607. Two years
later, he pronounced the simple vows. " Possessed of
transcendant talent," says Oliver, he was admirably fitted
for the duties of a university lecturer, and he was appointed
by his superiors to that office. St. Alban's Seminary at
Valladolid and St. Hermenegild's at Seville had been established for the purpose of fitting out subjects for the English Province, and-in these two institutions Fr. White discharged at different periods the offices of Prefect of Studies
and of lecturer in Scholastic Theology, Scripture, and Hebrew. Whether these duties just enumerated filled up the
whole period of time between the close of Fr:·· White's
noviceship in 1609 and the year 1619 when he was admitted to the profession of the four vows, we have no means
of ascertaining. So at variance are the meagre biographies
of the good father, that in one we are told that his first appearance on the English mission was after his entrance into
the Society in 1607. This assertion is not admissible, for
the list of banished priests, above cited, establishes the faCl:
of his presence in England in the year 1606, before his entrance into the Society.
�An Historical Sketc!t of Fat!ter Andrew W!tite.
5
On his return from Spain, Fr. White taught divinity first
at Liege, and then at Louvain ; and in both places he won
the admiration of all by the proofs he gave of rare talents
and deep learning.
After this we can find no traces of him in any biographical records, until he was called to attend Lord Baltimore's
expedition ; and it is impossible to discover whether the
order of his Provincial found him in England or on the
Continent. This we know, that he joyfully obeyed the
command, and in the words of the Collctlanca, S. :J., " like
a giant he exulted to run his course."
"On Nov. 22d, 1633, it being St. Cecilia's day, the 'Ark'
and the ' Dove ' weighed anchor at Cowes in the Isle of
Wight." Their hearts firm set with confidence in the proteCtion of heaven and bravely resolved to endure what perils soever awaited them, in order that they and their children might worship God in justice and in truth, the Pilgrims of Maryland began their long voyage.
As the Relatio Itineris left by Fr. White informs us,
many were the dangers encountered and safely passed
through before the voyagers came in sight of their promised land. For a considerable time, the 'Dove,' a smaller
and less sea-worthy vessel than the 'Ark' was parted from
its consort and given over as lost. To the mutual joy of
both crews, the pinnace rejoined the 'Ark,' before reaching
land, and together the little vessels sailed up the broad
waters of the noble bay and majestic river on whose banks
lay the home of their adoption. " Along the Potomac, the
exiles found mighty forests stretching as far as the eye
could reach ; a soil, rich and fertile ;-the air balmy, although it was now in the month of March ; and they returned thanks to God for the beautiful land which he had
given them, for this was Maryland."
March 25, r634, Lady-day, a landing was made on
an island, which the settlers called St. Clement's, most probably that now known as St. George's. " On the day of
�6
An Historical Sketc!t of Fatltcr Andrew Wlzite.
the Annunciation," says Fr. White, in his 'Relation' "we
first offered the sacrifice of the Mass, never before done in
this region of the world.* After which having raised on
our shoulders an immense cross fashioned from a tree, and
going in procession to the designated spot, assisted by the
Governor, Commissary, and other Catholics, we ereaed
the trophy of Christ, the Saviour, and humbly bent the
knee in reverence during the devout recitation of the litany
of the Holy Cross." Thus in humble, grateful prayer under the symbol of the Cross, on whose wood Christ died to
purchase back a world given over to sin and the devil, did
these pious settlers reclaim of the Son of Man's dearly
bought inheritance, this portion, destined to become the
cradle of a vigorous church, the whole extent of whose
fruitful mission has not even yet been revealed to man.
As on the voyage, so during the wearisome months of
their early labors, Fr. \Vhite and his comrade Fr. John
Altham encouraged the hopes 'of the colonists, kept alive
their confidence in God and dispensed to them those spiritual aids which, above all else, gave them strength to sustain
the hardships incident to their new position. The missionaries did not forget the second duty assigned to them by
the pious Lord Baltimore, and, from the first day, they set
about their apostolic labors among the Indian tribes that
* Fr. 'Vhite was ignorant of the fact, little known even in our own
time, that the soil of Maryland had been previously blessed by the
presence of priests and rendered fruitful unto Christ by tfie shedding
of their blood. In 1570, Fr. Segura, the Vice-Provincial of the Spanish
Jesuits in Florida in company with seven of his subjects landed on the
shore of the Chesapeake. His object was the conversion of the Indians, one of whom having been carried to Florida by Spanish merchants and having professed Christianity, had volunteered to guide
the missionaries. These latter followed the traitor a journey of several
months into the interior, and were at length abandoned by him in the
wild forests to endure all the horrors of famine. After a time he re:
turned at the head of an armed party, and ruthlessly butchered his
benefactors before the rustic altar, on which they had daily offered the
Holy Sacrifice for his people.
�All Historical Sketch of Fatlur Audrcw
~V!tite.
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encompassed the Colony of St. Mary's. T hanks to the
spirit of cha rity and justice which pervaded Lord Baltimore's enterprise, at the very outset the I ndians we re rendered kindly disposed towards the new-comers. An exceptional case in the early settlements on the Continent, the
tribes of Maryland were not driven fro m thei r lands by violence, nor we re they cheated o ut of them by fraudul ent
barter.
I n his earliest missions among the Indians, Fr. White
depended for means of intercourse o n interprete rs from
Virginia, but hi s a rdent zeal aiding hi s natura l aptitude for
acquiring languages, he \\as enabled in a <>hort time to master sufficiently the diale& of the country, although these
were singularly numerous and varied. So familiar did Fr.
Wh ite become with the Indian langu age, that he composed
during his stay in Maryland, a g ra mmar, a diCtio nary, and
a catechism in the native tongue. He found time also to
write a Relation of the Voyage from · Eugla11d, and a small
history of the Maryland Colony.
One of the earliest exc ursions undertaken by him was to
the Patuxents, ·a very powerful nation, whose ch ief exercised remarkable influence over the neighboring tribes.
The king of the Patuxents at first showed himself disposed
to ad mit the instruCtio n of th e missionary, wh o remained
for a considerable time in hi s country and bapti zed a few of
his people. Unaccountably these good dispositions -underwent a change, the kind feelings at firs t entertained by the
cacique gave place to hostile sentiments, and Gov. Calvert
fearing dange r to Fr. White required him to return to St.
Mary's. A few years later, howeve r, a reconciliati on was
effected, and in 1639 we find Fr. Brock alias Morgan residing among the Patuxents on land ceded by thei r king
Macaquomen.
More successfu l was a si milar expedition made by Fr.
\Vhite to the Pi. cataway , on whose hunting-grounds now
stands the city of Washington. He was received with
�8
An Historical Sketclz of Father Andrew White.
much cordiality by the king, who shared with him the
l10spitality of his own lodge. During this visit, the king
fell ill and, after having been given over to death by over
forty Medicine-men of his nation, was restored to health
through means of some remedies which the good father
administered. Chilomacan, on his recovery, desired baptism for himself, his wife and children. The ceremony
was delayed to allow time for his thorough instruB:ion,
and in the meanwhile he paid a visit to the Governor at St.
Mary's. On his return to his nation the king ereB:ed a
rude temple in which the ceremony of his baptism was
performed with all the display possibh· under the circumstances. The bright hopes based on this auspicious event
were frustrated by the death of the pious chieftain in the
following year.
To follow here Fr. \Vhite in the all-trying labors undertaken in the service of God, would extend too far the limits
of this sketch. Numerous tribes lying along the Potomac
and the waters of the Chesapeake were brought over to
the faith-and aided by Fr. John Altham, who finally succumbed under his labors, Nov. 5th, 1640, by Frs. Brock,
Fisher, Rigby, "and others," says Oliver in his Colleflions
"whose names are written in the book of Eternal Life,"
Fr. White had the ~joy of seeing the true faith accepted by
hundreds of the natives, and of receiving into the fold of
Christ nearly all the Protestants who had accompanied the
expedition, besides some from the neighboring C?lony of
Virginia. The piety of the missionaries, their p'ure lives
and their perfeCt self-devotion filled the minds of the Indians ·and whites alike with respeCt and wonder. They
pointed out the way of salvation and walked the steep and
thorny path themselves. They practised the virtues which
they taught, and fully exemplified by their own lives the
truth, the beauty, and the sanctity of the Gospel which
they preached. Arduous in the extreme were their journeys by land and water in discharge of their missionary
labors. Usually three together, the priest, an interpreter
�An Historical Sketclt of Father Andrew Wlzite.
9
and a servant, in an open boat they went from station to
station; in a calm or under adverse winds, two rowed and
the third steered. In a little basket were provisions of
bread, cheese, dried ,roasting-ears of corn and such homely
fare; in one chest the articles necessary for the celebration of
. the Divine Mysteries; in another, .various objeB:s intended
as presents for the Indians. When nightfall overtook them
on th~ir journey, as was often the case, they landed on
some sheltered beach, and while the priest moored the boat,
gathered fire-wood, and spread the frail matting, their only
shelter from the bleakest weather, his companions beat up
the adjoining woods in quest of game.
Thus for ten years, under the fierce rays of the summer
sun and in the biting wind and freezing sleet of the winter
months, did the zealous Apostle of Maryland wear out his
life in the service of the people to whose charge he had
been assigned. But harder trials still were in store for him
before his "nunc dimittis" would be heard. In r645, the
rule of the Proprietary in Maryland was overthrown by the
Protestant rebellion, under Claiborne, a Virginia adventurer;
whereupon the Governor, Sir Leonard Calvert, was forced
for refuge into Virginia, and Fr. White, with two of his
companions, was seized, put in irons and transported to
England for trial. Once more the prospeB: of martyrdom
brightened before his eyes, but God had ordained that he
should win his crown not in the one brief, intense hour of
pain that brings release, but in the long years of wearisome
pining in dungeons, and of exhausting, perilous works that
fell to the lot of England's missionary in those dark days.
A sad sight, most truly, to behold this venerable man,
whose best years and most generous efforts had been spent
in the service of his fellow-men, whose tender interest for
their temporal wants, scarcely less than his apostolic zeal
for their eternal welfare, was limited not even by the aetual
strength that he possessed, cast into a dungeon by the very
men for whose love he was prepared to die.
Banished a second time from England, after a confinement
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A1t- Historical Sketc!t of Father Andrew White.
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whose duration is unknown, he sought permission to return
to Maryland, but his request was not heard. Oliver says :
"thirsting for the salvation of his dear Marylanders, he
sought every opportunity of returning to that mission; but
all his attempts proving ineffeCtual, he was conte~t to devote
his remaining energies to the advantage of his. native land."
Indeed a few months 'found him secretly returned to
England; and disregarding the penalty of death incurred
by every priest who appeared in the country after banishment, he labored in the duties of his vocation for a period
generally reckoned about ten years. The necessity he had
of concealing his indentity under an assumed name, has rendered it impossible to ascertain with any degree of surety
the scene of his toiling.
The hardships, privations and sickness that had filled up
the years of his residence in Maryl~nd, told on his constitution towards the end of his life, and for a long time before
his death, that event was daily looked for by his friends.
To himself, some foreknowledge of the appointed time would
seem to have been disclosed, as is gathered from circumstances mentioned by Tanner and Nadasi.
On the morning of 27th Dec. 1656, the feast of St. John
the Evangelist, during his customary hour of prayer, Fr.
White felt that his warning was come, and though no
worse than usual, he received the last sacraments: at sunset in the city of London, on the festival of the great dis. ciple of love, his worthy imitator, the Apostle of Maryland
passed to his reward.
With gratitude and humility may .his brethren of the So~·-­
ciety, who live to reap in these full harvest days the yield
from the seed sown amid toil and suffering by Fr. White
and his companions, cherish his memory ami his name. Too
little indeed is known of this great man to whom Providence
gave the founding of a now spiritual empire. That his talents
were of the highest order, that his acquirements in many
branches of learning were most extensive, and that his eloquence fitted him to fill with credit chairs of doCt:rine in the
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�An Historical Sketch of Fatlur Andrew
Whit~.
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greatest universities, the splendid praise gained by him in
Spain and Flanders sufficiently proves. But better than a
scholar, Fr. White was a saint. Of the charity, humility,
and zeal that possessed him, his apostolic work in Maryland
and his generous devotedness to his native country stands as
monuments.. In his old a~e, even to the end, he continued
his custom of fasting on bread· and water twice a week.
Not even in prison did he relax his austerities, and to the
remonstrance of his jailer, that he should husband his
strength for his appearance at Tyburn, he replied : 11 mihi
vero ipsum jejunium abunde virium subministrat ad quidtibet Christi Domini mei causa perferendum."
In the Bibliotluca Scnptonmz, S. 7. of Fr. Nathaniel
Southwell, is found appended to the announcement of Fr.
White's death, the following eulogium, with which may be
fittingly closed this scanty memoir of the founder of the
Maryland Mission :
11
Vir fuit non minus sanB:itate vitae, quam doB:rina conspicuus, magna eluxit abstinentia solo pane et .aqua saepe
viB:itans, nee his nisi sub vesperam se reficiebat. Tam profunda humilitate fuit, ut abjiciendi sese occasiones ultro
quaereret. Incommodorum corporis adeo patiens, ut quamvis longa ac permolesta laboraret infirmitate, nunquam tamen auditus sit queri, sed quoad licebat, pro sano se gerebat, hac una in re simulatol' egregius. Denique quaecumque
agebat sanB:imoniam quamdam spirare videbantur, ut non
defucrint viri graves qui asseruerint, si quemquam vidissent
in hac vita sanctum, eum procul dubio fuisse Patrem Andream Vitum."
�A
RELATION
OF THE CoLONY OF THE LoRD BARON oF BALTIMORE, IN
MARYLAND, NEAR VIRGINIA; A NARRATIVE OF THE VoYAGE TO MARYLAND, BY FATHER ANDREW WHITE; WITH
SUNDRY REPORTS FROM FATHERS ANDREW vVHITE, JOHN
ALTHAI\I, JoHN BROCK, AND OTHER JESUIT FATHERS OF
THE
CoLONY, To THE SuPERIOR
GENERAL AT
RoME.*
·A REPORT
Of tlu Colony of tlte Lord Baron of Baltimore, in Maryland,
ncar Virginia, in whic!z t!ze quality, nature aml condition of t!zc
region and its manifold advantages and ric!zes are described.
The province is near the" English colony in Virginia,
which, in honor of his wife Maria, his most serene majesty
of England wished to be called Maryland, or the Land of
Maria. This province, his most serene majesty, in his munificence, lately, in the month of June, I632, gave to the
Lord Baron of Baltimore and his heirs forever; which donation he secured, and has confirmed by the public seal of the
DECLARATJO
Colonii1J Domini Baroni< ile Brdtimore in terra Maril1! prope Virginiam,
qua ingenium, natura et conditio regioni8 et multiplices ejus utilitates ae
dimtil1! descrilmntur.
Provincia est prope Coloniam Anglicanam in Virginia, quam honoris
causa a Maria conjuge sua, Serenissi~us Rex Angliae terram Mariae vel
1\Iarylandiae voluit appellari. Hanc nuper prodnciam idem Serenissilnus rex pro sua magnificentia mense ,Junio 1632 Domino Baroni de
Baltimore et haeredibus suis in perpetuum donavit, quam donationem
publico totius regni sigillo munivit ac ratum habuit. ldcirco illustrissimus Baro jam statuit in earn regionem Coloniam ducere, primo
~---~-----------------
* The original Latin Ms., as copied by Fr. Wm. :McSherry from the
Archives of the Society of Jesus in Rome, is here printed for the first
time; the translation is revised from Force's Historical Tracts.
�Father
White's
Relation.
whole realm. Therefore the most illustrious Baron has resolved immediately to lead a colony into that region; first,
and especially, that into the same and the neighboring places
he may carry the light of the Gospel and of truth where
it has been found out that hitherto no knowledge of the
true God has shone; then, furthermore, with the design, that
all the companions of his voyage and labors may be admitted to a participation of the profits and honor, and that the
empire of the realm may be more widely extended.
For this enterprise, with all haste and diligence, he seeks
companions of his voyage-as well those who have pledged
themselves to share his fortunes as others also. For the
whole affair being carefully considered, and the counsel of
men eminent for experience and prudence being called in,
he has now weighed carefully and studiously all the advantages and disadvantages which hitherto advanced or impeded other colonies, and found nothing which does not
greatly approve his design and promise the most happy
success.
For both the writings which his most noble father left
behind him, an eye-witness a gentleman of means, and
most worthy of credit, the uniform account of those who
daily come and go to us from thence, or not far from thence,
as well as the things which Captain Smith, who first diset praecipue ut in eandem ac loca finitima lucem Evangelii ac veritatis invehat, quo nullam hactenus veri Dei notitiam affulsisse compertum est; tum eo etiam consilio ut Socii omnes itinenun ac laborum
in partem quaestus et honoris vocentur, Regisquc imperiumlatius propagetur. Emu in rem navigationis comites cum eos qui fortunae aleam
secum sint tentatnri, tum alios omni festinatione ac diligentia conquil'it. Quippe re tota accurate considerata, et virorum usu ac prudentia
praestantium consilio adhibito, omnia tum commoda tum incommoda,
quae alias hactenus colonias vel promoverunt vel impelliverunt, sedulo
jam studioseqne perpendit, reperitque nihil, quod consilium suum non
nmgnopere probaret ac successum sponderet felicissimum. Nam et
scripta quae post se reliquit nobilissimus Pater testis oculatus ac locuples ac fide dignissimus, quaeque constanter referunt, qui all nos inde vel haud procul inde comeant quotidie, tum quae verissime scripsit
ac in lucem edidit Capitaneus Smithaeus, qui primus eam terram a per-
�14
Father
White's
Relation.
covered that country, most veritably wrote and published,
contain statements truly wonderful and almost unheard of,
in relation to the fertility and excellence of the soil. There
is added to this also, the common consent and testimony of
innumerable men who are here at London, and who are
about to return to those parts from which they sometimes
since have come, who with one accord verify and ·confirm
what Smith has commited to writing.
Wherefore the most noble Baron, about to make sail, God
helping, unto those parts; and to those whom he shall obtain as companions and supporters in an undertaking so illustrious, he makes the most ample and liberal promises, of
which this is first and especial, (to omit the titles of honor
and rank which are granted to fidelity, virtue, bravery and
illustriou~ ~ervices,) that such gentlemen as shall pay down
one hundred pounds English to .. convey five men (which
sum shall be sufficient for arms and implements, for clothes
and other necessary articles) whether it shall please them
to join our company themselves, or otherwise accredit their
men and money, to those who shall be charged with this
duty or to any person whom they may commission to look
after them and receive their division of lands,-to them
and to their heirs forever, shall be ;.,signed a possession
of two thousand acres of good land. Besides these emoluit, mira sane et prope inaudita de soli illius fertilitate excellentiaque
commemorat. Accedit etiam innumerabilium hominum, qui hie Londini versantur, quique in eas oras unde aliquando venerant reversuri
sunt, communis consensus ac testimonium qui quae literis mandavit
Smithaeus, uno ore comprobant atque confirmant. Qua propter nobilis-.
shuns Baro circa medium Septembrem proxime insequentem in ea loca, Deo adjuvante, vela factums est, iisque quos sibi in tam praeclaro
increpto Socios ac adjutores nactus fuerit cumulatissime multa ac largissime pollicetur. Quorum id primum ac praecipuum est (ut omittam
honoris ac loci dignitates, quae honori, virtuti fortitudini, rebusque gestis liberaliter ac honorificentissime tribuuntur) ut quicumque 100 libras
Anglicanas ad quinque viros transportandos (quod sa tis erit tum ad
anna tum ad instrumenta, tum ad vestes et alias res necessarias) numerabit, sive ipsis visum fuerit se nobis adjungere; seu virus pecuniarnque
�Father
White's
R elation.
IS
uments, if they offer themselves as companions in the first
expedition, furtherin g our projeEt, they shall obtain their
share by no means small, in a profitable trade, (of which
more hereafter,) with other privileges;- concerning all
which things, when they come to the foresaid Baron, they
shall be made acquainted. But what has been before said
of the one hundred pounds Eng lish, this may be also understood of a smaller or greater sum of money in proportion, whether from one person separately, or colleEted together and contributed by many.
The first and chief objeEt of the illustrious Baron (which
also ought to be the objeEt of others who may be in the
same ship) is, that in a land so fruitful shall be sown not so
much the seeds of grain and fruit trees as of religion an~
piety; a design truly worthy of Chri stians, worthy of angels, worthy of Ang les, th an which En gland, renowned for
so many ancient vicrories, has undertaken nothing more
noble or more glorious. Behold the regions are white unto
the harvest, prepared to receive into their fruitful bosom
the seed of the Gospel. From thence they are sending, on
all sides, messengers to seek for suitable men who may instruCt the inhabitants in the doEtrine of salva ti on and regen·
erate them in the sacred font.
There are present at this very time in the city , those
iis, quilms hoc munus impositum fuerit, sivc alteri cui vis commiscrit
ut eorum curam gerat, et uivi ionem agrorum recipiat, his omnibus
suisque haereuibns in perpetuum pogsessio agri boui 2000 jugerum assignahitnr. Ad haec !<i in prima .expeditione socios se praestiterint
opcramq uc navaverint partcm quoque suam )mud e xiguam in fructnosa mercatura, de qua postea, aliisque privilegiis, ohtinebunt; de quibus cum ad praetlictum Barouem vcnerint, accuratius ficnt ccrtiorcs.
Quod autcm nntca dictum e t tle 100 libris Anglicaui!<, hoc cti:un de
minore seu majore summa pecuniac pro rata portione ah uno !<eparatim
aut a pluribus simul collata atqnc praestita intclligatur.
Uonsilium primum ~lC summum Ill ustrissimi Baron is est, quo<l aliorum ctiam qui in eadem navi fucrint esse uebet, ut in terra tam frugifera, non tam frugum atque arhorum quam religion is ac pi eta tis semi·
ua spargantur. Consilium enimvero dignum Christian is, lliguum Angelis, dignum Anglis, quo n oi.Jilius nulluru aut gloriosius, tot antiquis
�Father
White's
Rdatz'on.
who state that they have seen at Jamestown, in Virginia,
messengers sent from their chiefs for this purpose, and infants carried to New England, that they might be washed
in the waters of salvation. Who then can have a doubt, but
that by this one work so glorious, many thousand souls.
may be led to Christ? I call the rescue and salvation of
souls a glorious work, for that was the work of Christ the
King of Glory. But since there are not to all the same
ardor of mind and elevation of soul, so as to regard nothing
but divine things, esteem nothing but heavenly things-inasmuch as most men regard rather pleasures, honors and
wealth, as if in love with them-it has happened by some
unseen power, or rather by the manifest remarkable wisdom of the Deity, that this one undertaking should embrace all inducements that effect men-emoluments of every
kind.
It is admitted that the natural position of the country is
the best and the most advantageous; for it extends towards
the north to the thirty-eighth or fortieth deg~ee of latitude,
in the same position of place as Seville, Sicily and Jerusalem, and not unlike the best portions and climate of AraAnglia victoriis nobilitata suscepit. Ecce regiones sunt albae ad
messem, panitae ad Evangelii semen gremio fructifero recipiendum.
Inde, ipsi mittunt undique nuntios ad conquirendos idoneos homines
qui incolas doctrina salutaria instruant ac sacro fonte regen erent. Adsunt etiam hoc ipso tempore in urbe qui se vidisse testantur legatos a
suis regibus bane ob causam urbcm Jancli in Virginia missos, infantesque in Novam Angliamtlclatos, ut aquis salutaribus abluerentur. Cui
ergo dubiurn esse poterit, quin hoc uno tam glorioso opere mul~a animarum millia ad Christum traducantur. Opus appello gloriosum animarum auxilium ac salutem, opus enim erat Cllristi regis gloriae.
Cretcrum cum omnibus idem anlor animi ac mentis alitudo non sit, ut
nihil nisi divina spectent; nihil nisi caclestum intueantur, quin plurimi potius voluptates, honores, opes quasi adamantes, occulta quadam vi,
sen aperta magis singulari numinis prudentia factum est ut hoc unum opus omnia llominum incitamenta, omnia generis emolumenta
complecteretur.
In confesso est situm regionis optimum esse ac commodissimum,
quippe quae ad 38 vel 40 gradum in aquilonem porrigitur, situ loci
Hispalis, Siciliae, Jerusalem, et optimis Arabiae felicis plagis et climati
�Fatlzer
Wlzite' s
Relation.
17
bia Felix. The air is serene and mild, neither exposed to .
the burning heat of Florida or ancient Virginia, nor withered by the cold of New England, but has a medium temperature between the two-enjoys the advantages of each,
and is free from their inconveniences. On the east it· is
washed by the ocean: on the west it adjoins an almost
boundless continent, which extends to the China sea.
There are two large arms of the sea, one on each sidebays most abundant in fish. The one whose name is Chesapeake, is twelve miles broad, and flowing between two regions, rolls from south to north one hundred and sixty
miles, is able to contain great navies, and is marked by various large islands fit for grazing, where they fish actively
for shad. They call the other the Delaware, where, the entire year, there is fishing for codfish, but not so profitable,
except during the cold months, as those which are rather
warm prevent their being cured with salt, and indeed this
great plenty of fishing arises from this:. the wind which
sets continually from the Canaries, between the north and
the east, rolls the earth and the fish with it to the Gulf of
Mexico, where since it can neither return again to the east
nor the south, it is driven violently towards the north and
sweeps in its tide, along the coast of Florida, Virginia,
haud absimilis. Aer serenus ac mitis, nee ardoribus Floridae vel antiquae Virginiae infest us, nee Novae Angliae frigoribus exustus, ~ed mediam quamdam inter utramque temperiem obtinet, utriusque fmitur bo·
nis, ac mala nescit. Ab oriente Oceano alluitur, ab occidente infinito
prope Continenti adjacet, qui in mare Chinense protenditur. Duo
aestuaria sane magna utrinque, sinus piscium foocundissimi. Alterum
cui nomen Chespeack 12,000 passum latum binisque interfusum regio- ·
nibus, ab austro centum et sexaginta millia passuum in aquilonem
volvitur; magnarum capax uavium discretum variis amp lis ac pascuosis insulis in quibus piscium quos lagoes vocant copiosa piscatio, Alterum appellant Delaware ubi integro anno asellorum piscatio est, sed
non adeo commoda, nisi mensibus tan tum frigidioribus, nam calidiores
sale condiri vetant. Ac haec quidem tanta piscandi copia hie fit, quod
ventus qui a Canariis inter aquilonem et orientem constanter spirat,
volvit oceanum simulque pisces in aestuarium mexicanum, ubi cum
2
�18
Father
TV/lite's
Relation.
Maryland and New England, a g reat multitude of fish
which, as they avoid the cetacea, fly to the shoal places
where they are more easily taken by the fishermen.
There are various and noble rivers, the chief of which
they call Patowmack, suitable for navigation, flowing one
hundred and forty miles towards the east, where a trade
·with the Indians is so profitable, that a certain merchant,
the last year, shipped beaver skins at a price, of forty thousand pieces of gold, and the labor of traffic is compensated
by thirty-fold profit.
In the level and champagne country, there is a great abundance of grass; but the region is for the most part shaded with forests; oaks and walnut trees are the most common, and the oaks are so straight and tall that beams can be
made from them, sixty feet lpng, and two feet and a half
thick. Cypress trees will shoot up eighty feet before they
send forth branches, and three men with extended am1s,
scarcely encompassed them. The mulberry that feed the
silk worms, are very common. There is also found an Indian grain which the Portuguese call l' ove de t lticrva. Alders,
ash trees and chestnuts, not inferior to those which Spain,
Italy and Gaul produce-cedars equal to those which Lenee in oricutcm nee :\UStrum cvolvi dctur, magno impctu in aquiloncm
pellitur, pcrquc oms Florhlac, Vir~i nia c, l\Iarylandiac, Novae Ai1gliae,
mab'llam sccum multitutlincm piscitm1 c\·crrit, qui llum cctos fngiunt,
ad loca vqdosa confngiunt ubi facilius a piscatoribus C.'lpiuntur. Flnmina suut varia atquc inclyta, quorum praccipuum Attowmack appellant navigationi opportunum 140 millia passunm iuf!ucns in orientem
ubi cornmcrcium cum Indis tam qnacstnosum ilahctnr ut mercator quidam 40,000 aurcorum prctio pclle C.'lStorum ultimo an no con vcxcrit ac
mercaturac labor trigcsimo frenorc compcnsctur.
In planitie ac apcrtis cam pis copia gram in is magna, sed rcgio majori
ex parte ncmoribus opaca; querens, juglanll es frequcntbsimae, ac quercus quid em ita rcctac ac proccrnc ut trabcs intlc fieri po~~i nt altac 60 pedum latac 2 et dimitlium. Cypressi ctimn antcquam ramos cmittant ad 0
pclles eriguntur, truucum vix trcs viri cxtcutis l1rachiis mctiuntur. J\lori
frcqucntissimi a csca m hombycum. Invcuitur ctiam gramen scricum
quod Lusitani l' 011/l cle l' ltierva voc:mt. A lui, fraxini, castancnc baud imparcs iis, quas Hispauia, Italia, Gallia fcruut, ccdrique acquales iis qui-
�Father
I¥/tite's
Relat£on.
19
banon boasts. What shall I say of the pine, laurel, fir, sassafras and others, with various trees also which yield balsam
and odoriferous gum,-trees for all the most useful purposes
-for architeCture, for nautical uses for planks, for resin,
pitch and terebinth, for mustard, for perfumes, and for making cataplasms? But the woods _ passable, not rough with
are
an undergrowth of thorns and shrubs, but formed by nature
to afford food to beasts, and pleasure to men. There are
grapes in abundance, from which wine can be pressed;
some resemble cherries and have a thick and unB:uous juice.
The inhabitants call them chesamines. There are cherries
equal to Damascus plums, and gages very much like ours.
There are three kinds of plums. Mulberries, chesnuts and
walnuts are so abundant that they are used in various ways
for food . Strawberries and esculent blackberries you will
in like manner, find .
Of fishes, the foll owing are already familiar: sturgeon,
herrings, porpoises, -craw-fish, torpedoes, trout, mullets of
three kinds, urchins, roach, white salmon , periwinkles and
others of that kind, of innumerable names, and unknown
species. But so great is the abundance of swine and deer
that they are rather troublesome than profitable. Cows,
also, are innumerable and oxen suitable for bearing burdens
bus Libanus gloriatur. Quid d lcam de pinu, Iauro, abiete, saxofrasso
et reliquis cum variis etiam a rl>oriiJus quae balsama et gulllllli odorifera
reddunt. Arbores ad omnia ntilissima, ad architecturam, ad rem nauticam, opus tabnlatum, ad picem rc ~ inam, liqnidam picem, terebinthum,
sinapi, odoromata, kaptaplasmata conficiemla. Sylvam autem perviam,
non horridam spinis aut arbutis sed ad p:"tstum bestiis, bominibus ad
volnptatem a natura factam . ·Adsnnt vites uiJertate ex quibus vinum
exprimi pote t, quaedam ccrasis pare quarum humor crassus et unguinosus. Incolae Chcsaminc vocant: ccrasa prunis Damascenis
aequalia, grossnlaria nostris simillima; tria sunt genera prunorum.
.Mora, Castanea,juglaudcs ita abundant ut varias ad escas adhibeantur.
Fruges et rubos idaeos ibidem invenias: De piscibus qui sequuntur,
etiamnum in rtotitiam venerunt. Sturiones, baleces, pboeaenae, astaci,
squillae, torpedines, truttae mulli trium gene rum, ericii, rubelliones, albi
salmones, choncae, cochleae, et alii id genus innumeri nominum et generum ignoti. Ceterum tanta porconun et ce rvorum cop it\ est, ut molestiae
�20
Fat!ter
TV!zite's
Relation.
or for· food; besides five other kinds of large beasts unknown to us, which our neighbors use for the table. Sheep
will have to be taken from the Canaries: asses, also, and
mules. The neighboring forests are full of wild horses,
bulls and cows, of which five or six hundred thousand are
annually carried to Seville from that part of the country
which lies towards New Mexico. As many goats as you
wish can be obtained from the neighboring people. Add to
this, muskrats, squirrels, beavers, ferrets and weasels, not
however, destructive as with us to eggs and hens. Of the
birds, the eagle is the most ravenous. Of hawks, there are
various kinds which live in a great measure on fish. There
are partridges, not larger than our quails, but almost infinite in number. Innumerable wild turkeys, which are double the size of our tame and domestic ones. There are also
blackbirds, thrushes and a great many little birds of which
there are various kinds, some red, some blue etc. The winter is plenteous in swans, geese, cranes, herons, ducks, creepers, green parrots, and many other birds unknown to our
part of the world.
Lemons and quinces of the best quality grow there. Appotius quam commodo sint, vaccae etiam innumerabiles ac bubali ad
on era et escas idonei, praeter alia quinque genera magnarum bestiarum
nobis ignota, quae finitimi ad mensam adhibent. Oves vel hine vel a
canariis petendae, asini item et muli. Equis, tauris vaccisque sylvestribus plena sunt proxima nemora ex quorum parte, ea quae occidentem
spectat in Novam Mexico, quotannis 600,000 vel 800,000 deportantur
Hispalim. Caprarum quantum visum fuerit peti poterit a finitimis· •·
Adde hue murcs odoratos, sciuros, castores fibros, mustelas, curculio- ..
nes non tamen ut nostri ovis et gallinis infestos. Inter volucres, aquila
voracissima, accipitrum varia genera qui piseibus magna ex parte vi·
ctitant. Perdices coturnieibus haud majores sed multitudine prope infinitae. Innumerabiles etiam Afrae aves agrestes quae nostras circures et domestieas duplo magnitudinis exsuperent. Sunt etiam merulae
et turili, minutaeque aviculae multae, variaeque quorum aliae rubrae,
caeruleae aliae, etc. Hyems abundat cycnis, anseribus, gruibus ardeis
anatibus, certheis, glaucis psittacis, aliisque compluribus nostro orbi
ignotis. Mala limonia et mala contonea fert optima. Armeniae, item
tanta sunt ubertate, ut vir honestus ac fide dignus constanter affimaverit se ultimo anno centum modios porcis projecisse. De lupinis
�Father
White's
Relation.
21
ricots are so abundant that an honest gentleman, and worthy of credit, positively affirmed he had cast, last year, an
hundred bushels of them to the hogs. What shall I say
of the 1upines, beans, garden roots etc., most excellent in
quality, when even the peas, in these places, grow in ten
days, to a height of fourteen inches ? The country is so
fruitful in corn that, in the most barren places, it returns the
seed twice an hundred fold; but in other places and generally, one grain yields five or six hundred grains. In the
more produCtive years, there is a yield of from fifteen hundred to sixteen hundred fold, and this indeed during one
harvesting, whereas the fertility of the soil affords three
harvests. That I may presently draw to a close, it is very
likely that the soil is adapted to all the fruits of Italy-figs,
pomegranates, golden olives, etc.
Nor are there wanting things that may be of use to fullers and apothecaries; there is plenty, also, of tin, iron,
hemp and flax. There is hope, too, of finding gold ; for the
neighboring people wear bracelets of unwrought gold and
long strings of pearls. Other advantages, both numerous
and lucrative may be expeCted, which sagacious industry
and long acquaintance will discover.
praestantissimis, fabis, radicibus, aliisque ejusmodi quid dicam? Cum
etiam pisa illis in locis decem dicbus ad quatuordecim digitos excrescunt. Rcgio frumenti adeo ferax est ut in maxima sterilitate bis
centuplo semen reddat, alias et plerumque pro uno granulo 500 aut
600; melioribus annis 1500 vel 1600 et hoc quidem una messis, cum
ternas per annum fertilitas soli suppeditat. Verisimile est omnibus
Ita!iae fructibus solum idoneum fore, ficubus, pomis granatis, aureis
o!ivis, etc., ut brevi perstringam. Non desunt quae pul!onibus ct.
apothecariis usui esse possunt ; nee stanni, ferri, canabis, lini copia
desideratur. Spes etiam auri inveniendi, nam finitimi ex auro sed
nondum facto armillas gestant, ac margaritarumlongas catenas. l\iulta etiam commoda atque divitiae sperari poterunt, quae sagax hominum industria et longus usus inveniet.
�NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE TO MARYLAND.
On the 22nd of November 1633, on St. Cecilia's day, the
east wind blowing gently, we weighed anchor from Cowes,
situated in the Isle of Wight. When we had first placed
the principia! parts of the ship under the proteCtion of God,
His most Holy Mother, St. Ignatius, and all the Guardian
Angels of Maryland, being carried a short distance between
the two headlands, for want of wind we came to anchor off
Castle Yarmouth, which is a port on the west of the same
island. Here we were saluted by the festive thunder of cannon. \Ve were not free from alarm, however. For the
sailors began to murmur among themselves declaring that
they expeCl:ed a messenger from London with letters, and
so appeared to frame causes of delay. But God interrupted
their wicked ~esigns; for the same night, during the prevalence of a favorable but strong wind, a French barque
which had lain in the same port with us, being compelled
to weigh anchor, nearly drove against our pinnace. She, to
prevent being run down, after cutting loose an anchor hastened to make sail as quick as possibl e, and since it is dangerous to be tossed by the waves in that place she put out
RELATIO ITlNERIS IN 1\IARYLANDIA?t!.
Vigesimo secundo mcnsis Novcmbris anni 1633, die Snctac Caeciliae
sacro, leniter aspirante Euro sol vim us a Con is qui posit us est in insula
Vecta. Cumquc praecipnas partes navis constituisscmns in tutela·Dei
in primis, et Santissimae cjus llfatris, Sancti Ignatii ct omnium .t\.ngelo. rum 1\farylandiae, paulnlum inter dnas terms provccti, dcficiente
vento, resedimus e regione Castri Ya rmouth, quod est ad occasum
aestivum ejusdem insulae. Hie festis tormentorum tonitruis acccpti
sumus neque tamcn metus aberat. Nautae enim inter se mussitabant
expectare se Londino nuntium et literas, atque ideo moras etiam nee·
tre videb::mtur. Sed D eus consilia diversa abrupit. Eadem quippe
nocte prospero sed valido flante vento !em bus Gallicus (qui eodem hortu
nobiscum constiterat) solvere coact us, propc abfuit in nostram celocem
ut impingeret. Ilia igitur ne opprimeretur, una praecisa ac deperdita
anchora, vela dare quamprimum: ct quoniam co loci fluctuare pericu-
�Fatlur
lV!tite's
Relatioll.
2.3
to sea. Therefore, not to lose sight of our pinnace, we determined to follow; so that whatever designs the sailors
contemplated against us, were frustrated. This happened
on the 23rd of November, St. Clement's day, on which he
being bou nd to an anchor and cast into the sea, obtained a
crown of martyrdom, and afforded to his people a way to
land, as the miracles of God declare.
So, on the same day, at ten o'clock in the morning, being
honored again by a salute from the Castle of Hurst, we
were carried beyond the breakers at the extremity of the
Isle of Wight, which, from their form, they called the Needles.
Now these are a terror to sailors on account of the double
tide of the sea ; on this side hurrying and dashing the ships
upon the rock, and on the· other side against the neighborin g shore. To say nothing of the other imminent danger
which we escaped at Castle Yarmouth, here the wind and
tide raging while we remained, the anchor not yet being
weighed and secured, the ship would certainly have been
dashed on shore had we not on a sudden, being violently
driven forward and shipping a sea, escaped the danger by
the favor of God, who vouchsafed to us this pledge of his
future proteCl:ion, through the merits of St. Clement.
}osum crat, in marc porro se dcmittcre !cstinat. Itaque nc celocis nostrac conspcctum pcnlcremus, scqui dcceruimus, ita quae nautae in nos
agitarunt consilia snnt dissipata. Accid it iu vigesimo tertio Novembris,
die Sancto Clcmcnto sacro qui anchora alli•ratus, ct in marc demersus
coronam martyrii adcptus est, et ilt:r pracbuit populo terrae, ut enarrant mirabilia Dei.
E.o igitur die, iterum circa decimmn matutinam, fcstivis explosionibus
salutati a Castro Hurst, practervccti sum us frcqucntes scopulosad ext~e­
mum insulae V cctae, quo a fonn a a ens voca.nt. unt au tern na vigantibus
terrori propter duplicem ae tum mari , hinc in saxa, illinc in vicinum
litus abri picntem, et allidentem naves, ut alterum interim discrimen
taccam,flUO defuncti sum us ad Castrum Yarmouth. Nam vento ct acstu
urgente, cum non dum rcccpta anchom llaercremus, propc erat, ut navis·
ad tcrram allidcretur, nisi subdito vi magna aversi, earn mari immergentes, periculum Deo propritio elusissemus, qui hoc etiam pignore
protectionis suae nos dignatus est per merita Sancti Clementi.
�Father
White's
Relation.
On that day, which fell on Saturday, and on the succeeding night, we enjoyed winds so favorable, that the following
day, about nine o'clock in the morning, we left behind us
the western promontory of England and the Scilly isles ;
in a gentle course turned rather towards the West, coasting
along the British ocean, nor running as fast as we could,
lest, leaving the pinnace too far behind, it might fall a prey
to the Turks and pirates for the most part infesting that sea.
Hence it came to pass that a fine merchant ship of six hundred tons burden, by the name of the Dragon, which having
sailed from London was going to Angola, overtook us about
three in the afternoon. And since, our dangers being passed,
we could afford to take a little enjoyment, it was delightful
to behold the two ships contending together in the course,
while trumpets resounded, and sky and wind were propitious. And our ship would have had the advantage in the
race, even without the use of a''topsail, had we not to tarry
for our pinnace which was rather slow. We, therefore,
parted from the merchantman, which, before evening, was
out of sight.
Die illo in Sabbatum incidit, et nocte insequente ventis usi sum us ita
secundis, ut postero die mane circa horam nonam reliquerimus a tergo
promontorium Angliae occiduum et insulas Sylinas placido cursu magis
in occasum versi, legentes oceanum Brittanicum, neque quantum potuissemus accelerantes, ne celocem plus nimio praecurrentes, illa Turcis et
piratis, mare illud plerumque infestantibus, praeda fieret.
Hinc factum est, ut oneraria insignis vasorum sexcentorum, cui nomen a Dracone datum est, cum Londino profecta Angolam peteret, nos
circa tertiam pomeridianam assequeretur. Et quoniam periculo perfunctis voluptatis jam a liquid admittere vacabat, jucundum erat spectare eas duas naves inter se cursu, et tubarum clangore per horam integram contendentes, coelo et ventis arridentibus. Et superasset nostra, quamvis siparo non uteremur, nisi sistendum f11isset propter
celocem, quae tardior erat; itaque cessimus onerariae; ilia autem ante
vesperam praetervecta, conspectui nostro se subduxit.
(To be continued.)
�Canada-Indian Missions.
CANADA.-INDIAN
MISSIONS.
LETTER FROM FATHER Du·R.ANQUET
TO VERY REV. FATHER BAPST.
THUNDER BAY STATION,
Sept. 24, 1871.
REVEREND FATHER,
P.C.
Since I last wrote you from Grand Portage in June, I
have been away nearly all the time travelling or on sick
calls. A type of measles, called by our doctor "malignant
measles," has swept off fifteen of our poor people in less
than a month, and threatens to make still further ravages.
Truly a terrible scourge for our poor mission! We have
had the consolation of seeing the greater part of the victims
prepare themselves for death as true Christians. Others
have been called away so suddenly that I have hardly had
time to give them extreme unction. Very few whites have
been attacked ; but it would seem as if no Indian or halfbreed were to be permitted to escape. Fr. Chone, here at
the mission where the greater number of deaths has occurred, is extremely fatigued. Fifty Indians have died of
the same disease at Rainy Lake. I have had no news from
Lake Nissigon, or the stations north of Lake Superior
since my visit to them. I am very anxious about them;
this terrible plague seems to ferret out the poor Indians in
every corner; whereas the whites, as I was saying, have
almost all escaped. I wish I were able to go and examine
for myself the state of things at all points of the mission,
but I would not venture to leave Fr. Chone here alone in
his already exhausted condition.
If the sickness lasts another fortnight, our Autumn fishing will be lost, and those whom the disease will have
spared, will fall victims to the famine. The foremost offi-
�Canada-Indian Missions.
cials in charge of the public works have already given
some relief to our unfortunate people, and hold out hopes
of still further assistance. I have not yet attempted to
make a collection, but the compassion for our poor Indians
which their great distress excited, should move people to
be generous towards them.
The Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have
nearly all their children sick. They also devoted themselves, as far as in their power, to the assistance of the other
sufferers.
The visit to our Christians at Michipicoten, Pic, etc.,
without offering any very remarkable results, has yielded its
ordinary share of consolation. At Red Rock, at the mouth
of the Nissigon river, seven men, five of whom were Christians, in the employ of the engineers of the Pacific Railroad, \Vere overtaken by the fire which had broken out
everywhere through the woods, and were suffocated by the
smoke. This accident and the sickness have left many orphans on our hands. The sisters have taken charge of the
little girls.
I have received very pressing letters from Mr. G. Keller
of Duluth, requesting me, in the name of the Bishops of
St. Paul and La Crosse, to pay a visit before the close of
navigation to the Indians and half-breeds of Superior, Duluth and Fond du Lac. I have not yet answered him, indeed I am rather at a loss what to say. The new missionaries at these places do not know the language, and Mr.
Keller says the people are crying out for priests who can
understand them. He tells me, also, that Fr. Sherlock has
given a mission to the Polish emigrants in that neighborhood.
Ra!. Va!. in Xto. Servus,
D. Du
RANQUET,
S.
J.
�Montreal.
27
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM
FR. FERARD, SUPERIOR AT MANITOULINE, LAKE HURON, ONTARIO.
There died, last winter, a young boy about 12 years of
age, who knew enough of his little prayers to remind him
of God, but who had not had a chance to see the priest for
the past two years, and had consequently been unable to
receive his first communion. His sister had died a very
happy death, some days before he himself had been attacked; and when he too felt the touch of death in his
breast, he called his father and mother to his side and said
to them: "Father and mother, I am dying,-I can't live
long,-my sister is calling me from above,-she tells me to
come and meet her, for we shall be so happy together,I am very \Villing to go; but, father and mother, I am, perhaps, not good enough to enter at once into heaven ; I
therefore beg of you a favor ." "What is it, Son?" said
the astonished parents. " I would lik.e you to whip me
well before I die," continued the young penitent, "and help
me to do penance for my sins."
At once the parents, to whom the will of a dying person
is always sacred, with great composure, but with tears in
their eyes, took up a strap of raw hide that lay near by, and
proceeded to strike their little son smartly, for a length of
time, on his outstretched hands. The dying lad did not
shrink, did not shed a tear; and when h e had undergone
his voluntary penance, he lay back on his pillow, and gently
gave up his soul to God. His parents told me that his
countenance wore a sweet and almost superhuman appear- ·
ance, after he had breathed his last; and though, like all
Indians, they are apt to be superstitious, I am much inclined
to believe them this time. Oh ! that I may die such a
death!
�Montreal.
'
I
~
EXTRACTS OF A LETTER FROM
MR. DRUMMOND.
ST. MARY's CoLLEGE,_
MoNTREAL, oa. 3. 1871.
On Sunday last, with the permission of the Bishop, Fr.
Vasseur appeared in the pulpit of our church in Chinese
costume. Over a sky-blue, nearly violet, soutanne, he wore
a little black cloak with short loose sleeves lined with red,
and a surplice over all. His head gear consisted of what
he calls his "bonnet du sacrifice," a large four-sided structure with the monogram of the Society worked on each
face. It was so lightly fastened that it shook at the least
movement of the wearer's head. You know whether he is
given to movements of the head. This wonderful "bonnet '•
had two broad pendants behind, like a mitre. I was agreeably surprised at the effeCt of it. I had expeCted something
ridiculous, but found it quite the reverse, very rich and imposing.
Let me tell you a little bit of apostleship in the world
which I have just heard of at first hand. My informant is
a clerk in the office of a gr~in broker, a Protestant. The
other day he received an order for a quanity of flour, which
was immediately forwarded. The consignees refused to receive the flour, on the ground that it was not according to
sample. The matter was too urgent for the tortuous for- ..-·
malities of the courts, so it was agreed to refer it to arbitration. Upon this the broker went to Mr. C--, who has
two brothers at our college, and who, whilst enjoying the
reputation of being the most upright merchant in Montreal,
is a thoroughly praCtical Catholic, and a regular frequenter
of the Sacraments. " See here, C--, I want you to be
arbitrator in this matter." "Oh ! do let me alone; I'm
bothered with these arbitrations; everybody comes to me."
�Montreal.
But the other insisted, and he at last gave way, but on one
condition. "Well, I'll do it, provided you promise to come
to the English sermon at the Gesu on Sunday eight." " Oh !
all right!" And the matter was arranged. Upon returning
to his office, the Protestant broker threw himself into his
chair and laughed heartily : "Just to think of it! I have
to go to church on Sunday night." He laughs well who
laughs last.
Just one other little item of edification which I came upon
quite accidentally the other day. Upon going into the
treasurer's office my attention was attraaed by a very fine
photograph of the Holy Patriarch St. Joseph, as patron of
the faithful, under which was placed an inscription pretty
much to this effea: "I, John Bapst etc., confide St. Mary's
College to the care of St. Joseph ...... and appoint Fr.
Loyzance first assistant Procurator and Joseph Koerner second assistant Procurator, under the express condition that
they will undertake nothing of any importance without previously consulting the Holy Patriarch. In testimony hereof
I affix my seal and sign manual, etc." The consequence is
that we have already I 52 boarders, and more are expeaed,
whilst last year which was the most prosperous in a pecuniary point of view which the college has yet seen, we
never had 140 at a time: and remember that we attained
our maximum only about Easter.
�The Clzi'cago Fire.
SPECIAL PROTECTION OF OUR COLLEGE AND PARISH DURING THE
"CHICAGO FIRE."
EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER DATED NOV. 12,
1871.
" In mediis ignis non sum <estuatus " exclaims the sacred
writer, when he wishes to give us an idea of God's tender
mercies. We may say almost as much for ourselves. For
kind Heaven has deigned to show us a similar favor. Chicago is proud Chicago no longer.~ The fire-king has robbed
her, not only of her pride and wealth, her pomp and luxury;
but also of many of her sanCtuaries and shrines, of her
monuments of Christian charity and devotion. The cathedral and the Episcopal residences, churches, and chapels,
schools and academies, monasteries and convents, orphanages and asylums of innocence or penitence, have been
buried in one promiscuous grave.
But, by the favor of God, our house and parish still
stand on the very borders .of the smouldering waste, as a
monument of His unspeakable mercy towards us. If they
have escaped from the general conflagration, it certainly is
not because they were beyond the reach of danger. For a
long time the fiery element seemed to be disporting around· .
us, as if in mockery of our tears. Had not some kind angel, such as fanned the youths in the Babylonian furnace,
checked its wild, capricious gambols, we had most probably
shared the common fate.
·
On the 6th of OCtober, three blocks had been reduced
to cinders, at no great distance away from us ; and the remembrance was still fresh, when we were suddenly startled
by the presence of danger near home. It was about 9
o'clock, on the night of the 7th, that we were attraCted
to the windows hy an ominous glare on the surrounding
�Tlu Chicago Fire.
houses. Seeing the northern front of the Holy Family
School-house brilliantly lit up, Father V. A--and Brother O'N--, with some other members of the community,
hurried off in great anxiety to the scene. But, finding that
there was no immediate danger for the school, they turned
their attention to the safety of the parish. Here, too, they
found a watchfu"I Providence on guard. The flames -were
sweeping, like a torrent, along the boundary line, without
ever daring for an instant to cross, or to trespass on what
looked like consecrated ground. On they kept gathering
strength and fury as they went, until they reached the district burned out on the previous night. Then there came
a turn. Had it been towards the West, nothing could have
saved us. Fortunately for us, it was toward the East: The
fate that had been hovering around our flock was averted
for the present, and our active little party began to breathe
more freely. They did not however, remain idle spectators
and soon found in other quarters abundant exercise for their
charity. They were joined later on by fresh recruits from
the college, who staid out with them all night, helping the
poor victims of this dreadful visitation to save themselves
and their chattels from the unpitying flames. Many little
children, too helpless or terrified to make their escape, were
rescued by them from injury or death and conducted to a
place of safety.
Two of the lay-brothers, bent upon this work of love and
keeping pace with the devouring element, had reached St.
Paul's church, when they learned that the Paster was absent from home. The f.'ttal spark had been seen to alight
on the belfry only ten minutes before, and already the steeple, from the roof upwards, was a pyramid of flames. Their
first thought was about the Blessed Sacrament; but a policeman warned them from the front door, through fear that the
bells might fall at any moment. They hurried to the sides
and rear of the church; but every door was locked, there
was no trace of the sacristan, and no person could tell where
�32
The Chicago Fire.
the keys were kept. After many useless endeavors to force
an entrance, two of the neighbors at last succeeded in breaking through a small window in the sacristy. It was too
late. They had almost reached the tabernacle, when they
were driven back by the smoke and flames ; and one of
them, in trying to escape by a window of the church, fell
to the ground in a swoon. It was a relief, especially to
those who had exerted themselves so much, to learn on the
following day that the Sacred Species had not been consumed after all. The Pastor had taken the precaution to
remove them before setting out.
Morning dawned sadly upon the doomed and distraCted
city. A few boys came to school at the regular hour, but
we dismissed them at once. Every one's mind was in a
fever of excitement; to fix our. thoughts upon anything
besides the dreadful calamity was altogether out of the question. Our own position soon began to occupy our attention and to fill us with the greatest alarm. We saw ourselves, surrounded for miles in every direCtion, by .a vast
tinder-box of wooden houses, which had been ripening for a
spark during the last two or three long months of drought.
The wind had now increased to a fearful gale, and the fire
was still raging. Had.it veered around or a new one accidentally sprung up in the West, we must have fared like
all the rest; for the water-works had already been burned,
and there was not a drop of water in the city nearer than
the lake or river. Then, who could have dared hope that
the average number of fires would not occur, till the·
" works " had been restored?
We had recourse to the only, though happily not the
least effeCtive means of proteCtion, still left us ;-we assembled at noon in the sanCtuary of the church, and in
.common recited the Litany of the Saints and other prayers,
to invoke the continued favor of heaven, upon which we
felt ourselves to be so utterly dependent. It was likewise
agreed to summon the people to the church as if for even-
�Tlze Clzicago Fire.
33
ing service-and to begin a public novena to the Sacred
Heart for the protection of the remaining portion of the
city, and of our own parish in particular. But dark coming on we had to abandon this idea altogether. The whole
neighborhood was in a state of the wild.est consternation,
bordering on a panic; for rumors of would-be incendiaries
had got abroad. It was reported on all hands that the place
was full of them and that the West-side was to be burned
down that night. Every one had some horrid instance of
lynch-law to tell of; though no one seemed to have seen
it himself. At all events it was quite certain that a great
number of arrests had been made of real or pretended incendiaries. Two ill-looking fellows had been surprised in the
act of trying to fire a barn a little to the windward of our
premises. They now hurried past the College in the midst
of an angry crowd-one of them in the hands of a policeman, the other in the g rip of four or five citizens, who drove
him before them and meanwhile kept skaking and threatening him in a way that must have furnished material for more
than a few " lamp-post " stories.
Shortly after, a woman came to warn us that a couple of
men had been overheard to swear that they would burn
down the church and college of the Jesuits, if they had to
swing for it. About the same time a respectable lady living
hard by, told the porter that a suspicious lookin g character,
who had been skulking about her yard and driven away, had
been observed to enter our church and to remain behind,
when all had been ordered out and the place locked up.
Search was instantly made; and, when after some time it
was about to be given up, the fellow was discovered crouching down near one of the confessionals. Most likely it was
these two incidents that gave rise to the monstrous newspaper accounts of several men having been hanged or crucified for throwing kerosene on the Jesuits' church.
Very few thought of sleeping that ni ght. A committee
from the police head-quarters had come up to swear in some
3
�34
The Chicago Fire.
of our domestics for special duty, and caution us to watch
our premises closeiy. We, accordingly, gathered together
fourteen men and keptthem patrolling the block till morning.
Nothing of importance happened on that or any of the following eight or ten nights, during which we kept up our
vigilance. Several times they frightened off individuals,
who had been lurking in the neighboring alleys; occasionally, too, they succeeded in capturing them, and, when they
could give no good account of themselves, handed them
over to the first squad of soldiers, or of regular police
which they met.
In the mean time, the destitution and suffering of so
many homeless beings, strongly appealed to our sympathy. The college was one of the first places offered to the
Relief Committees for the storage and distribution of supplies, which poured in at once. from all parts of the country.
They began to arrive on Tuesday afternoon, and for the
remainder of that week continued coming in much more
rapidly than we could possibly dole them out. From the
variety and quanity of the articles stored away on the
ground-floor, and the number of trucks unloading at the
side-walks, a stranger passing by would have thought that
the building had been suddenly turned into a vast Commission Warehouse.
The Benedictines, who had rescued nothing from their
burning monastery; save the clothes which they wore upon
their persons, had already taken shelter in our house. ~he
orphans, too, arrived on the second c!ity, in the company _of
their kind guardians-the Sisters of St. Joseph. We suspended our classes indefinitely and opened the first and sec~
ond floors of the college proper for the accommodation of
the little sufferers.
As soon as the Sisters found thcn1selves and their charge
so comfortably lodged, they gave a share of their attention
to the relief of those who were less fortunate, by helping us
to distribute the provisions to the thousands of hungry ones
~
:
'
!j
il
~
�Tlte Clzicago Fire.
35
that began to flock around our doors. Their presence seemed
to be all that was needed to complete the most motley
collection that could well be broug ht together. They stood
somewhat aside from the gene ral bustle, assorting and dealing out the food and clothing, whilst the older of their little
orphans squeezed their way in and out among the crowd on
various errands. The fathers, scholastics and lay-brothers
were also conspicuous moving about through the corridors,
partly superintending and partly helping the students and
dray-men to roll in and pile up the barrels and boxes as they
arrived. The BenediEl:ine lay-brothers, of course, could not
remain idle in sight of so busy a bee-hive as that, and mingled among the workers as lustily as any.
But this is not an end to the varieties. Near the front
door, at a table, sat a' se1_ninaria n, who had been stopping
with us for a time, and who had now laid aside his theology
for a week to listen to the stories of the unfortunate, and
make out written orders for them according to their wants;
farth er on were the police, keeping the mass of applicants
in order with their batons ; in some unoccupied spaces
close by, soldiers passed slowly up and down, with gun and
bayonet, to overawe the disorderly; here and there you
could recognize, by their white badges, the committee men,
who had stepped in to see that all was right; and, now and
then, charitable ladies and gentlemen pressed in among the
coll!mon throng to visit the orphans an'd slip into the hands
of each some little donation.
These were some. of the most striki ng fi g ures. The g reat
bulk that thron ged the passages we re composed of the help' less sufferers. There they stood all day long swaying to
and fro, jostling one another about, and clamoring for the
loaf that was to save them from starving. It was a very
strange scene indeed, and the sights and sounds of that
eventful week will not be soon forgotten.
. By Sunday we were so much worn out by the unusual
labor and excitement, that we made a rrangements with the
�f
!
The Chicago Fire.
members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society to replace us
during the following week. But after a few days the city
government had secured a more convenient location for the
depot, and delivered the whole charge of it and of all the
others throughout the city into the hands of the " Chicago
Relief and Aid Society."
Our two parish-schools for girls were likewise open for
the assistance of the destitute-St. Aloysius', on Maxwell
St., as a supply depot, and the one on Taylor St., as a house
for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and their community.
Our two other schools of the Holy Family and St. Stalli'slaus
were not interfered with; but the small branch school-house
on Jefferson St. served for two weeks, as a place of shelter for
the homeless of every description. It was then fitted up
and given to the orphans for t!_J.e winter, or as long as they
may wish to occupy it. Eighty' of the boys had been previously sent to the orphan asylum of Cincinnati in charge of
two of our students. 'vVe trust the remainder will enjoy
some degree of comfort in the temporary abode, with which
we have tried to furnish them.
The morning on which they were settled in their new
home, we resumed our classes at the college, after a fortnight's interruption. All our students, who lived on the
North-Side-and they formed the most respeEtable, and intelligent portion-had been burned out. On the first day
after the fire many of them were wandering about homeless
and almost beggars. Oh! it was so sad to talk to the po,or
fellows, when they came to the college .to seek for some
consolation from their professors. Quite a number of them
had lost everything but their lives. Yet they were anxious
to get back to their books, and with three or four exceptions, all of them returned almost without delay. Our numbers have been increasing ever since, and our prospeEts are
now brighter than ever. In addition to this, we enjoy the
satisfaEtion of giving hospitality .to our venerable Bishop '
who has permanently taken up his abode with us. He has
�Tlu Clzicago Fire.
37
a suite of those rooms adjoining the parlor, goes to meals
with the community, and sometimes attends our recreation.
He is exceedingly cordial and "easy" with Ours-altogether like an old member of the family.
We are happy in the consciousness of having done something to alleviate the wants of Christ's suffering members,
and so relieved ourselves to some extent of that immense
debt of gratitude which is daily accumulating. The " Holy
Family" have proved themselves the best of guardians.
They have watched faithfully over the House of God entrusted to their keeping, and over all those that offer their
devotion therein. Only a few years ago the Western quarter of the city was a "howling" waste. Our church was
raised amid the poor and lonely whom the efforts of our
Fathers had induced to settle down there, and confirmed in
habits of industry and virtue. But the scene is changed
now. Nestling peacefully beneath the shadow of their
church, their humble frame cottages have been yearly multiplying; and now they have been screened, by a special
favor, from the ravages of the flames. Many of them, too,
are already giving place to more stately mansions, and happiness and comfort wait upon them everywhere. Here, if
any where, we may say that the blessing of God has rested
upon our labors; but we never before felt more sensibly
than we do now, that the mercies of the Lord are without
number.
�Florissant.
LETTER FROM THE NOVITIATE.,
FLORISSANT.
FLORISSANT, Nov. 24, '71.
REV. AND DEAR FATHER,
It was suggested that one of the Juniors should furnish
your periodical with a sketch of our Missouri Novitiate. I
trust it will not seem impertinent if I do so.
To render my account more intelligible, we will suppose
(sometimes suppositions become realities) that during the
next vacation, in company with Mr. M--, who has been
under your paternal care for the last three years, your Rev.
takes a trip to the \Vest and p,ays a visit to our community.
You will probably take the cars from St. Louis about 8 ~
A. lll. and passing by College View, the site of our future
college, proceed ten miles on the N. M. RR. to Ferguson.
At that point you will find one of the old-fashioned stages,
which will convey you over a tolerably good road to the
little French village of Florissant. This is a pretty old settlement. They say that there was a time when our great
Western metropolis was described as" St. Louis near Florissant," but that must have been before the present generation was born. Now Florissant is but an unimportant inland town, since railroad communication with it at the expense of a few miles of track was not deemed desirable and
an attempt to run street cars to the adjacent station has so
far proved unsuccessful.
You may naturally inquire what place Florissant occupies
on the map. To tell the truth it occupies no place on most
map~. but that does not prevent your knmving its locality.
• If you draw a line North West from St. Louis to the Missouri you have a perfect Delta formed by this line and the
two great rivers of the continent. This comprises Florissant Valley, a country fully as fertile as any in the state.
�Florissant.
39
The valley is about eight miles in extent. Encircled by a
range of hills, it presents the appearance of a vast amphitheatre. The land is gently undulating, rich and well-watered,
affording the eye a most pleasing prospect of fair fields of ripening corn, bright meadows stretching forth on-every side,
and golden wheat drooping its luxuriant head. As you are
hurried along in the stage to the tune of "g'up" or "haw
T om"; at a sudden curve in the road about two miles from
Florissant you see looming up in the distance on a commanding little eminence about four miles away, a white
stately building surmounted by a cupola. If you ask one
of your neighbors to whom it belongs, ten to one you will
be told that it is the " Priest's Farm ,~' for under that name
the neighbors recognize St. Stanislaus'.
Entering the south eastern side of the valley, you behold
it spreading before you in all its magnificence towards the
western ridge on which the Novitiate is situated. From
the road you have an excellent view of the village itself, of
which the most prominent edifice is the German church dedicated to the Sacred Heart, and under the care of one of
our Fathers. As you pass down the main street (for you·
may call it a street if you have not a scrupulous conscience)
there is ample opportunity to judge the enterprise of the
citizens. The stage stops in the centre of the town at a
grocery which happens also to be the Post-Office, where
the driver with an air of importance tosses out a somewhat
dilapidated canvass bag, and with an official tone cries out :
"United States Mail." Crack! goes the whip, and the next
place you stop is in an open square in front of St. Ferdinand's. church, in the west end of the village. This church
made of brick and built some 55 years ago, though of respeCtable size, is. not very imposing exteriorly; but one is
agreeably disappointed on entering, for everything wears a
neat and orderly appearance, and the whole interior breathes
an air of devotion . On one side of the church the Sisters of
�I
II
'l
40
Florissant.
Loretto have a convent and boarding school, on the other
is the residence of Fr. Van Assche. But I suppose that
before you have completed your survey of the premises.
the good natured pastor has appeared at the door to receive
his ever-welcome brethren. Fr. Van Assche, whose very
countenance betokens benignity and goodness, is a stout,
hale old man of seventy-one with silvery locks and white
flowing beard which give him quite a patriarchal appearance.
He is one of the pioneers of the Province having celebrated his fiftieth year in the Society last OCl:ober. It would
be an offence to refuse to accept his hospitality, and indeed
it would be hard to do so, for he makes every one feel at
home in an instant. His equal is seldom met. He seems
to have gone through the world without ever having carried a cross, always cheerful,,always kind, he carries farther than perfeCl:ion the famdus description of the pastor in
Goldsmith's " Deserted Village."
Though you are at Florissant, you are still two miles from
St. Stanislaus', and you must make haste to be in time for
our dinner hour ( 12 o'cl~ck). There is no stage running in
our direCl:ion, so that you will be obliged to walk, unless you
have taken the precaution to send word of your intended
visit. But the walk is not altogether uninviting, for independent of a good road, two thirds of which divides or skirts
our farm, you behold- some lovely scenery ;-rich fields
teeming with abundance; the sheep in the neighboring pastures indulging in their sportive gambols; birds of varied
plumage tripping from branch to branch or sweeping a<:foss
the path before you as if displeased with all intrusion: the
stream meandering through the fields and emptying into the
Missouri four miles distant: skirts of woodland diversifying
the face of the valley; the hills in the distance girded with
lofty trees and dotted here and there with modest dwellings,
the evident abodes of happiness and competence.
As your turn off from the road, you enter through a large
open gateway, an avenue of 40 young elms which your com-
u
I
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~
�Florissant.
41
panion will recognize as a change, for in his time a row of
Lombardy poplars led to the House. Right and left lie extensive orchards. From the avenue there is an excellent
view of the building which faces to the South-East. It is
of hammered stone, has three front projeCtions; the centre
surmounted by a triangular pediment, the two others in imitation of wings; it contains two stories and an attic besides
a basement, and is covered with a roof of colored slate. A
portico supported by Tuscan columns, embell ished with
mouldings and our motto A. M. D. G. leads to the entrance;
whilst from the second story a large ornamental glass door
shielded by a lattice opens out upon the portico. The windows guarded by flesh-colored shutters, present but plain
caps and sills. The cupola, in which the bell hangs, is surrounded by an oCtagonal entablature, and supported by
Tuscan pilasters. . The building is simple, but imposing;
and though it covers an area of only 100 by 44 ft., its parts
are so commanding and well porportioned that it appears
much larger. Luxuriant grape vines creeping along the
rough stones, and conveying their fruit into the very windows, formerly mantled the walls: but they have been removed from all save the south-west side.
By the time you have completed your observations you
have reached the end of the avenue, and encounter a white
picket fence with a raised triple gateway. To the right you
will read the admonition : " Ring the bell here," but after you
have complied with it you need make no scruple of pushing
the wicket open and proceding to the house. You reach
it by a pavement of flags 1 5 ft. broad, which extends all
around the house, though with diminished breadth. Br.
W--will usher you into the parlor with his most winning
smile, and leave you there whilst he goes to summon Fr.
Rector. In the meanwhile you will have time to notice
that the parlor though extremely neat is very plain and perfeCtly in keeping with the spirit of poverty. The mantel is
adorned with some little trinkets and the walls with some
�42
•
Florissant.
simple paintings. On one side is a large frame enclosing
poetry written by the Juniors, pieces being changed from
time to time. At present there are several acrostics, among
others one double Greek acrostic to Pius the Ninth, and another in Latin to St. Stanislaus, displaying in five direCtions.
It is made the custom of the house for our brethren from
abroad to test our home-pressed wine before going any farther, it being supposed that a two mile travel has made it
acceptable: besides it is as innocent as becomes a novitiate.
Of course you will next pay a visit to the domestic chapel which is in the first story on the south side of the house.
Our altar is, in our opinion, quite handsome, being embellished with mouldings, carvings and modillions. The latticed windows with their lace hangings and the marbled
walls and ceilings given an air of solemnity to the sacred preci nets. All around you is still";-- it is the time of the Examen. That bell you hear sounding from the cupola is the
sign for dinner. As we have" Deu Gratias" in your honor,
there will be ample opportunity to become acquainted with
the whole community, which consists of Rev. Father Boudreaux, ReCl:or; Father Converse, Minister; Father Coppens, Professor of the Juniors; with eleven Juniors, seventeen Scholastic Novices and twenty-four Brothers.
In the course of the afternoon you take a survey of the
premises. On the right and a little to the rear of the stone
edifice is a frame building 52 by 20, rich in historical memories. At present its tlppcr story is used as a chapel for
the neighbors; the lower, owing to the scarcity of ro9111
and the large number of our community, as a Dormitory
for the Juniors. Our outhouses are so numerous that they
present the appearance of a little village. But let us proceed ! Right of the house and back of it are orchards;
left, or south-west, is the garden laid off with some taste,
and by way of " miscendi utile dulci," enclosing patches of
vegetables, borders of flower beds, and evergreens. Fruit
trees of different kinds are scattered in the midst of this gay
~1,
j
1··'·
..
.
�Florissant.
43
profusion. Besides several arbors near the house, and a
quantity of Catawba and Isabella vines planted elsewhere,
a magnificent grape arbor 400 or 500 ft. long, supported on
trellis-work twelve feet high, runs through the garden.
Several bowers, conveniently situated, a row of tall locusts,
and some venerable old pear trees afford shade and refreshing coolness. On the north side is a hot-house, and near by,
a handsome flower bed under the care of the Juniors. In
the lower part of the garden is a modest little oratory in
the Gothic style, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Though
at all seasons of the year it is a favorite resort of the Novices
and others ; the fragrant honeysuckles clambering up the
wall without, and the blooming flowers placed before Our
Lady's statue within, make it find favor even with nonCatholic visitors. The walks of. the garden are bordered
with pinks, violets and privet. The whole garden is surrounded by an Osag~ orange hedge of remarkable beauty
and closeness. A person lately attempted to cross it, but
though favored by a friendly fence, met with very indifferent
succdss, as was evident from the sundry pieces of cloth left
behind.
On the west side of the garden between flower beds on
one side and orchards on the three other sides is the resting
place of our dead. The cemetery comprises an area of 90
ft. square, enclosed by a simple white paling. Within the
enclosure a quadrangular mound, partly artificial, partly
natural, rises gradually from a height of 2 ft. at the border
to I 2 ft. at its central elevation. Two broad paths set with
flowers and interse8:inj:! each other at right angles, divide
the mound into four equal se8:ions, two of which contain the
remains of twenty-five Fathers, the third, of nine scholastics,
the fourth, of eighteen brothers. A hedge of lilacs formerly encircled each se8:ion, but they have given place to
box-wood, roses, lilies, bleeding hearts etc. Weeping willows, thorny locusts and huge catalpas throw a sombre
shade over the sacred spot; whilst a stone cross twelve feet
�Florissant.
44
high raised on a pedestal in the centre of the elevation
speaks the faith and hope of the departed. One tomb close
to the cross bears this inscription :
REV.
PATER
LUDOVICUS SEBASTIANUS
MEURIN,
SOC. JESU SAC. PROF.,
NATIONE
GALLUS
OBIIT IN PAGO PRAIRIE DU ROCHER
23
FEBR.
IJJ7,
ET IBIDEM SEPULTUS FUIT
IN
ECCLESIA STI. JOSEPHII,
INDE HUC T.RANSLATUS
23
AUG. I849,
ET DENUO HUIIIATUS
3
SEPT.
I 849.
R. I. P.
It is a precious link between the old and the new society.
I have confined myself, Rev. Father, to a description of
what may be properly called our premises-all within the
osage orange hedge. Behind this is a country road, happily not much frequented, but this I must not cross without
permission-it is out of bounds. Besides, I suppose you
are wearied enough, so we will leave the farm buildings, tlie
saw and grist mill and the church still in the course ~f
erection, alone for the present. I will only mention that
the large brick house beyond the road is inhabited by our
former slaves, the same families that came with our first
Fathers and Novices from Maryland fifty years ago. One
of them, old Protus, died a few years since some 1 ro years·
of age ; he gloried to have been of our Society for fifty
years.
�Buffalo.
45
You must have noticed that the outhouses are in a good
state of repair, many perfeCl:ly new; and you may wish to
know whence this prosperity comes. Seculars say that it
is all the work of our Procurator who is a native of Vermont, and who praCtised law before he joined our Holy
Religion ; but they do not know that we have another
source of wealth besides, viz : for several years past the custom has existed in this community of offering up a Mass
every Wednesday and each member in his turn a communion in honor of St. Joseph, who has not despised the simple devotion, but has frequently given bountiful assistance
both spiritual and temporal at the time most needed.
JUNIOR.
BUFFALO
MISSION.
Letter from ll.fr. Guld11tr.
BuFFALO, Nov. 20th 1871.
REVEREND FATHER,
P. C.
St. Michael's church is, and l suppose will continue to
be, the centre of the Mission. It is accordingly the residence of the Rev. Fr. Superior. The natural field of the
Apostolic labors of the German Fathers is the West, as it
is to the West that the tide of German immig ration is uninterruptedly flowing. Already they feel their inability to
satisfy the demand for missions in that direCtion. Up to
the present hour they have, besides the two houses in Buffalo, only one more residence, in Toledo, where are the
�Buffalo.
head-quarters of a band of four missionaries. One of the
Fathers has accomplished an excellent work by reconciling
a German parish in Erie to their Bishop; another has, by
accepting a professorship in the Cleveland Diocesan Seminary, relieved the Administrator of that Diocese from the
painful necessity of closing the Seminary. A college
was offered in Prairie du Chien, Wis., but the Fathers did
not deem it acceptable. Another band of missionaries is
stationed here in Buffalo. They, too, have their hands full
of work. "Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci."
It is the old complaint. The good these Fathers are doing,
and are called to do, among the German population, is incalculable. However, though they spare no pains in the
missionary work, it is neither the only, nor even the chief
objeB: of their attention. The greatest care and solicitude,
they bestow upon the education of youth. They were not
long in this country before they found out that the curse of
this fair land, especially of the Catholic population, are the
public schools. They therefore shrink from no sacrifice to
procure good schpols and good teachers for the children
entrusted to their pastoral vigilance. Every class is visited
at least twice a week by one of the Fathers, for the purpose
of teaching catechism. Besides this weekly catechism,
there is, regularly, every Sunday before Vespers, catechism
in the church for the wliole congregation, where the children are interrogated in presence of their parents. When
they leave school they are received into the Sodality. These
Sodalities have been canonically ereB:ed for the differ~nt
classes of persons, viz., boys, young men, married meh,
young ladies, matrons. I may mention by the way, that
the Fathers have great experience in the sodality work, as
it is one of their chief occupations in Germany, where they
are excluded from the education of youth. Some of the
Sodalities meet every week ; others every second week.
They have general communion once a month. Yesterday
morning I assisted at the Mass of communion. for the men.
�Buffalo.
47
I never witnessed anything more edifying. The earnest
but simple piety which th~se sturdy men showed forth, as
they said their prayers in common, responded to the leading prefeCt:, and sang their canticles was really touching.
But it seems to be of regular recurrence: with them it is a
matter of course to attend to their duties. Much good is
prevented by the unreasonable division of the parishes. In
whatever parish church a person has rented a seat, to that
parish he belongs. It is a source of disorder .and difficulties
without end.
Besides the two large parishes of St. Michael's and St.
Ann's within the city, the Fathers have also the care of the
German-French of Eleysville and North-bush, and of the
German-Irish parish of St. Vincent's. One of the Fathers
spends some hours daily at the hospital of the Sisters of
Charity. Every day he has some touchi ng incident to reiate, tending to prove that the hospital is for many a poor ·
soul the gate of heaven. Only to-day in recreation he recounted the followin g: The other day, when I was going
throu gh the wards, the sister came to me saying, "Father,
there is a negro just dyi.ng in another room, could you do
something for the poor fellow?" " I will see" replied the
Fa~her, followin g the sister to the room where the dyin g
man. lay. H e was brought to the negro by a little boy of
twelve or fourteen years of age who said to the sick man,
'' Sam, here comes the Priest, he is going to baptize you.
Do you believe i!l God, in Jesus Christ ?" and he was going
to put the man through a regular examination, when the
Father interrupted him, and havi ng satisfied himself as to
the dispositi.o ns of the poor man, he called for water and
baptized him. Half an hour afterwards he was a corpse.
Many edifying conversions, wrought in the hospital and
during the missions, might be recounted, but I must not
tire you. I will only mention two fa&, circumstantially
related to me by one of the missionary Fathers, and illustrative of the extraordinary aCtion of grace on such occa-
�48
Buffalo.
sions. Two brothers had been deadly enemies for years ; f
after the sermon, which was on reconciliation, they embraced '
each other at the church door, to the great joy and edification of the by-standers. In another parish, where a mission
was preached, a scandalous law-suit was pending, in which
many persons were concerned, and which caused great disturbance in the whole parish. It seemed as if this sad
affair were going to thwart all the missionary's efforts in
trying to produce a radical change in the hearts of the
people. By dint of prayer and great efforts he finally succeeded in causing the whole suit to be dropped and private
arrangements to be agreed to. The mission now went on
splendidly and was attended by the wished-for success.
Now a few words about our incipient college. We have
already over sixty students, in spite of difficulties of every
kind that beset us, in. spite of. the ill-will of persons, who
ought rather to favor than hinder the work. It will doubtless, at no distant period, become a flourishing college; at
present its outward appearance is rather insignificant : the
speedy erection of at least part of the future college is an
urgent necessity. We have now the two lowest classes of
the Latin course, and also two commercial classes. German
and English are, as much as possible, kept on an equal J
footing. The Fathers are just no\v anxiously a\vaiting sue- ;
cor from Europe. I suppose when the" Old-Catholics" i. e.
New-Protestants, with the help of their friends, the freemasons, will have done away with their eye-sore, the Jesuits,
we shall get plenty of help. How we will welcome tht;_rh to
this our free and hospitable America!
If you can command your patience a little while longer I
will speak to you about one, who being no more among the
living, cannot forbid me to say something in his praise. I
mean our good brother Pappert. He died on All Saints
day, at 5~ o'clock, A. !If. Brother Francis Pappert was born
in Fulda, in the year I 8 I 5· He entered the Society in
Switzerland, when twenty years old. He lived at Freiburg
�Buffalo.
49
and other Swiss colleges till the year I 848, when the revolution dispersed that province of the Society. Shortly after
he was sent to America, and, if I am not mistaken, continued to live at Fordham, till he was recalled to his own province, which happened in the fall of I 870. He was stationed
at St. Michael's church, where he discharged the office of
sacristan to the great satisfaction of the Fathers and edification of the faithful. People used to call him, the good brother
sacristan.
During his illness his besetting thought was that he
gave, as he believed, so much trouble to the Fathers, among
whom he had not labored. All this, 1 need hardly tell you,
was but the effect of his delicate, susceptible mind. As to
his usefulness, all those who knew him here, did not make
a secret of the esteem in which they held him. The Fathers
considered him as the very pattern of a coadjutor brother.
On a holyday the Fathers and Brothers of St. Michael's
church went to dine at St. Ann's. When after dinner, the
Fathers, coming from the visit, proceeded to recreation,
Father Superior, pointing to the kitchen where Br. Pappert
was already diligently washing the dishes, although he had
not been asked to do so, being a guest, exclaimed: "Brother
Pappert is a model of a coadjutor brother."
It was on the 25th of June, the day of the first communion of the children of the parish, after having perhaps
overfatigued himself in the sacristy and church, that he
felt the first attack of apoplexy. When Fr. Mmister accompanied him to his room, trying to dispel his uneasiness
by saying: " It is only fatigue, brother, you worked too
much to-day, take a rest and to-morrow you will be all
right again," the brother shook his head and said calmly :
"No, Fath~:r, it is an attack of apoplexy, I know it~" All
his right side became paralyzed : a few more attacks deprived him of speech, and rendered his right arm and hand
useless. He dragged himself along very painfully ; for his
right leg soon became as helpless as his arm. As he was
4
�so
Buffalo.
convinced that all was over with him, he at once commenced to prepare himself for death. He walked along
and worked as long as he could stir a foot, for the idea of
being useless or a burden to others, was a torment to him,
whereas the fathers deemed it a blessing, and not a burden ;
to have a sick brother, and such a brother under their roof. :
Had he not been obliged by holy obedience, he would ·
never have consented to take a glass of wine at table ; and ·
had not one of his brothers happened to perceive how ex·
tremely difficult and well nigh impossible it was for him
to dress and undress, good Br. Pappert would never have
said a word about it. At last obedience obliged him to .
keep his bed. Here he lay, the poor sick man, for months,
more helpless and mute than a baby. The use of his left
hand only was left to him ; his only language was that of
his eyes, and oh! how eloquent it was at times.
Fr. Superior was accustomed to give him his blessing
every night after litany, but was once prevented from doing
so. The next day the sick brother was uneasy, and calm
only returned when in the evening he had received the
blessing. I did not assist him very often. One day, I en- '
tered the infirmary, and, after speaking a few words, pre- ,
pared to retire, when he grasped my hand and pressed it, •.
and looked at me so candidly and so earnestly, that I, overpowered, had to leave the room at once It seemed to me
there was a world of meaning in that look and pressure i
of my hand. I witnessed a similar scene when Fr. Super- ;!
.j
ior starting for a journey, gave him his parting blessing.
!i
Hjs beads were his great consolation; it was by their ~
means that he established an uninterrupted communication fj
and sweet conversation with heaven : he would never consent to part with them, even for a few minutes.
On Sunday, Oct. zgth, he received the Viaticum for the ~·
last time. The Infirmarian, after communion, said some
prayers for him. He seemed full of consolation, and to give
vent to his gratitude, he took the Infirmarian's hand and .
would have kissed it, if the former had allowed him.
j
i
�Buffaio.
51
On the feast of Blessed Alphonsus, he seemed to be dy~
ing and we all thought that our Blessed Coadjutor Brother
would obtain for him the grace of a saintly death on his
own festival ; but the next morning he was better.
During his long and noble struggle, lasting from Sunday
till Wednesday, he never let go either beads or crucifix, and
when a brother pointing to the beads, said: "the Blessed
Virgin will assist you in your last moments," a smile of
happiness illumined his face. Father Superior himself attended him in his last moments. He and all those in the
house are unanimous in saying that Br. Pappert died a good
exemplary religious.
· Many persons of the parish had given marks of deep
sympathy during his illness, often inquired about his state,
sent little presents for him ; and when he was dead, the
throng to the parlor was so great that the Fathers decided
to depart somewhat from the · custom of the Society. Accordingly Rev. Fr. Superior, in hi~ sermon on All Saints'
day, mentioned his death, asked the prayers of the faithful
for the repose of his soul, and announced that the body
would be exposed in the chapel. Many persons, among
them not a few men, were seen shedding tears while the
father said a few words about the edifying life and death of
our dear brother. After Vespers the .body was laid in the
chapel, which is left open to the public, and until dark a
crowd of people were without interruption going processionally around the bier and saying their beads. Mothers
lifted up th eir children to see the face of the dead brother,
and they seemed to look at it with pleasure; for the features were not at all contraaed or any way repulsive, b!Jt
he seemed to be peacefull y sleeping. His funeral service
was held on All Souls' day, and he was buried in the German Cemetery.-May lze rest in peace. ·
�St.
52
LETTER
Louis.
FROM
ST.
LOUIS.
ST. LoUis UNIVERSITY, Oct. 19th I87J.
REVEREND FATHER,
P. C.
Within the last few days an event has occurred that
shall .forever be memorable in the annals of the house, and
stand forth as one of its brightest pages. The great joy
that pervaded all hearts, and the gala-day that was created
for the entire University, professors as well as students,
were occasioned by the rare and unprecedented spectacle of
two of our Fathers celebrating their golden Jubilee. These
were the. FF. Van Assche and .Verreydt; the only two surviving founders and pioneers of the province. As Rev. F.
Provincial intended to make the festival a general one, he
thought he could devise no better method of doing so, than
to invite the heads of the different houses, as well as those
who had formerly filled the office of Rector. The kind invitation was almost universally responded to, for on the eve
and morning of the festive day arrivals from every quarter
of the Province filled the college. It was, indeed, a happy
gathering and reunion ; -long separated brethren in religion
met again ; . they recalled old scenes and places, and reverting to .the histories and memories of the past, recalled to
their minds things which time had almost effaced.
At length, the 1oth of October, the feast of St. Fra~cis
Borgia, and the day appointed for the )ubilee, had come.
It W<;\5 a bright genial day, not a speck of cloud interrupted
the. continuous .blue, while the sun dispensed sufficient
warmth to remind one of .Indian Summer. The previous
Sunday,the parish had been informed of the approaching eelebration, and or. the morning many a devout soul hastened
to St. Xavier's to witness the venerable sight and the affecting ceremonies. Precisely at 9 o'clock the clergy filed
into the Sanctuary. The venerable Father Judocus L. Van
,
~
I.
L
:.
!;
'
J
!i
!{
~
�St.
Louis.
53
Assche officiated as celebrant, assisted by Father Helias of
Cole Co. as deacon, and Father Busschots from the villa,
as subdeacon. Owing to the dignified appearance of the
celebrant and his assistants, the richly decked altar, and the
distinguished services rendered by Mr Gilson's choir, the
Mass was as solemn and inpressive as any we ever attended. In truth, nothing more venerable and awe-inspiring can
be imagined that the aspect of Father J. L. Van Assche.
With beard of silver descending to his breast and a countenance lit up by an ever ready smile, this veteran of many
years still walks with step so light and firm, that few would
credit the fact that seventy-one years have left no greater
marks upon his person ; Fathers Helias and Busschots, too,
wear their years weii, and still give many signs of unabated
activity and ardor,-traits so characteristic of their nation.
About twenty Fathers assisted in surplice; and as many
acolytes, among whom may be reckoned several aspirants to
the sacerdotal dignity, aCted as torch-bearers, and enhanced
the solemnity of the occasion. If his Grace, Bishop· Miege
had honored us with his presence, we should have enjoyed
the spectacle of a pontifical high Mass, in which the pioneer
Fathers would have figured as deacon and subdeacon respectively. But as his Grace failed to appear, Father Felix
L. Verreydt offered up his Mass ofthanksgiving early in the
morning, while Father J. Van Assche sang the solemn Mass.
The church was crowded, and many a fervent prayer ascended on high for the blessings and length of years bestowed
on the two venerable servants, while, perhaps, not a few of
the Fathers assembled cherished the fond hope of one day
seeing their own golden Jubilee. Slowly and solemnly the
Holy Sacrifice neared its completion, and when the Celebrant's hand had descended in benediction on the prostrate
crowd, all rose consoled by the rare and edifying aCl:ion
which they had witnessed.
At noon a bountiful repast ·was served.· The greatest
harmony and charity prevailed. Interesting scenes were
�54
St.
Louis.
depiaed in the most striking colors; and the many dangers,
trials, and arduous occupations of the past were gratefully
recounted. Especially did the older members dwell on the
faa, when, fifty years ago, the youthful province emigrated
from its parent stock, Maryland, to the wilds of Missouri,
and in spite of a thousand obstacles laid the foundation.
Time and again they lauded the unflinching spirit and iron
will of the noble Fathers Van Quickenborn and De Theux,
to whose unsparing exertions they owed their united fruitful labors. Amid these recolleaions the afternoon had
passed, and the evening, the time set apart for the formal
and explicit congratulations of the" veterans" had come.
~By 6 o'clock the community and invited guests, whose
number had hourly increased, repaired to the spacious library hall. Here a richly covered table laden with creature
comforts and refreshmen"ts ran threw its entire length,
while four magnificent chandeliers shed a flood of light over
the well-stocked panels, and the portraits of the nine Presidents of the University. At the head of the table sat Rev.
Father Provincial with Fathers Van Assche and Verreydt
on either side, while ranged on the right and left were
the many groups assembled to welcome the pioneers.
The formal opening of congratulation was made by the
Rector Rev. J. G. Zealand, who in a short pithy address welcomed them in the name of all present, and represented
what grateful sentiments were entertained for them by the
inmates of the house. After a short interval, a communication from Rev. J. E. Keller, Provincial of Maryland, }Vas
read. This missive couched in terms at once most ch~ste
and chiselled found a ready response in the hearts of all.
It dilated in growing terms on the golden fruits, which the
tree planted by them so plentifully bore, styling them " the
pillars of the noble edifice which now graced the land."
Next came the kind greeting of the Sc~olastics resident at
Wod~dstock, who though busy "hiving wisdom with each
stu to us year" did not forget to contribute their mite t~~
!
1
!
1
1
~1
1:
1!
�St.
Louis.
55
the family festivity. One by one did they loom up before
us, laying individually tokens of love and reverence at the
feet of the pioneers. Their address, as tasteful in style, as
simple in language, and encircled by a garland of distichs
that set forth their several kind feelings and good wishes,
was passed from group to group and greatly admired. · But
the older members, too, were not to be outstripped by the
younger ones: they came forward and recited pieces
breathing youthful ardor and inspiration. Among others,
Father Busschots proved syllogistically the happiness of a
well-spent religious life, and Father Helias, in five different
languages, gave expression to his joy. H is Latin hexameters ·and pe ntameters addressed to Father Felix Verreydt
may not be out of place here. The following is a -copy of
the original :
R EVERENDO FELICI V ERREYDT JUBIL..EUM CELEBRANTI
Sic Te divus amor patria procul ire relicts
Arcuit, Hesperiae visere regna domus ?
Carbasaque ignotis audacia pandere ventis,
Phrebus ubi fessos condit anhelus equos.
Usus amicitire nee Te,lachrymreque tuorum
Flectere, sollicitre nee valuere preces?
Non pater apsentis poscens solatia nati,
Non genitrix passas imbre rigante comas?
Turbaque tot fratrum, quorum suspiria nullus
Finiit, a portu Te properante, dies P
Non albos scopulos, et mille pericula ponti
Impedit? A.troces trux habet unda vias,
Aspers montano riguerunt pectora ferro,
Votaque cum nullo pondere cuncta cadunt.
Ibis, et o nunquam rediturus I Te procul requor
Ereptum ex oculis in vaga regna tulit.
Nee tamen Americes spectator inutilis urbes
Visere, nee merces classe referre parat,
Est aliud, quo vota pius cursusque ratemque
Impulit, instabiles spernere doctus opes,
Eminus albentes metitur messibus agros,
Qureque suas poscunt Indica rura manus.
�St.
Louis.
Hie Fidei radiis pressas caligine mentes
Imbuit, et sacris crimina tinxit aquis
Crelestesque animos patrio transcripsit Olympo
Deque triumphato prremia Dite tulit.
Et certe hoc melius, quam si Te cura parentum
Indecorem patria contumulasset humo.
Sic mihi facta via est, et me tulit requor euntem :
Sic mihi nunc comitem me Tibi junxit amor,
Nee me terruerunt pharetrre, nee lethifer arcus.
Nectqure Indi sreva bella bipenne gerunt:
Dummodo Romanre rubidus primordia legis
Sacra feram, J esum mundus uterque colat,
Scilicet ut Belgas videat domus utraque solis
Sacraque Christiadum mundus uterque notet.
Contributions by the professors of St. Louis University.
and St. Xavier College were next recited, and the twelve
" Juniors " at St. Stanislaus, were ably represented by Fr.
C. Coppens, who read their happy produaions. Chicago
college found its exponent in Fr': De Blieck and Milwaukee
had a spokesman in Fr. Lalumiere; the former improvised
a short Spanish address presenting his compliments, while
the latter regretted that he had not been able to forward
two canes cut on the grave of Fr. Marquette, which were
to serve them as a support in their declining years.
Father Kamp, of the nascent Buffalo Province, delivered
a short address in German, while of two Italian Fathers
returning from China, an~ homeward bound for Brazil, Fr.
Rondina with a talent peculiar to his nation, like a true
" improvisatore, " threw off on the spur of the moment most
exquisite Portuguese and Italian verses.
.
The time consumed in this various readings had ad-:
vanced the night considerably, and Rev. Father Provincial,
to close the exercises, requested the two" Honored Guests"
to make a short reply. Cheerfully did they second his
wishes by stating how grateful they felt to God for crowning their old age with such distinguished honor, and lavishing upon them so many sympathies at the hands of their
brethren. With his usual wit and good humor, Fr. J. Vanf\.ssche excused his brief speech by the promise of a longer
.
'
�Ward's
Island.
57
one at his centennial celebration. Father Felix Verreydt
on the other hand, overcome with emotion, tendered his
thanks to all present in the most humble manner, and recommended tn a few appropriate words the fifty years spent
in reli gion, and then with trembling hand blessed the kneeling crowd. Thus ended the festivities. But time shall not
soon obliterate the salutary impression made-nay, in after
years its sweet remembrance shall, like the reflex of past
joys and glories, speed us back to the day, which we shall
ever cherish as one of the happiest of our lives.
LETTER FROM FR. PRACHENSKY.
EMIGRANTs' REFUGE AND HosPITAL,
WARD's IsLAND, N.
Y,
Nov, 27,
1871.
REVEREND FATHER,
P. C.
In complying with the request of my
brethren to open a correspondence with you, I think I may
say, that owing to my peculiar position on this island, an
account of the missionary work carried on here may not be
without interest.
When the tide of emigration from Europe began to flow
to this country, New York became the chief port of entry,
and continued to grow in extent and importance with the
numbers which arrived every day in its harbor to seek in
this new country a new home. Many of these arrived des. titute, and others who brought their little savings with
them, became but too soon the prey of thieves and sharpers,
�Ward's
Island.
who infested this port, and robbed them unawares of what
little property they had, turning them out penniless into the
streets, where not seldom they were seized by the police, 1
and as vagrant::. and paupers sent to the prison or work- 1
house. To remedy these evils a number of prominent !
Irishmen formed themselves into an Irish Emigrant Society !
for the protection and assistance of Irish emigrants. The 1
Germans soon followed their example, until both societies ,
with the aid of the state authorities obtained a charter from .
the Legislature of New York as the Commissioners of Emigratimz of tlze State of New York, with the right of levying ·
a tax on the captain of every vessel carrying emigrants to
the port of New York. By means of this tax, or headmoney which at present is $1.50 for every emigrant, the
Commissioners were enabled to perfect accommodations in
Castle Garden, where all emigrants have to land ; and to
purchase land and erect suitable buildings for the sick and
destitute, of no matter what nationality.
Thus every emigrant arriving at the port of New York
or Brooklyn during the first five years he is in this country,
has a right to hospitality and care if sick or destitute, in the
Emigrants' Refuge and Hospital of Ward's Island. How
many arrive here, having been sent for by their relatives,
without means to continue their journey! They are transferred to Ward's Island;_ their relatives are written to, and
they themselves remain in safe keeping without any expense
until they are sent for or the necessary funds are obtained.
The Hospitals contain every sort of patients ab infante us·
que ad hominem senem, every disease that man is heir..·to,
with the exception of small-pox cases; which are transferred
to the Hospital on Blackwell's Island at the expense of the
Commission. There is an average of from 6oo to 800 patients in the Hospitals and from 1200 to 2500 inmates on
the island. Last winter they reached the number of 2600;
14,000 persons obtained hospitality in this Institution dur- ·
ing the course of last year. The greater part of these are
�Ward's
Island.
59
German and Irish; a considerable number of English and
. Scotch ; Poles and Bohemians and a sprinkling of other
nationalities. T~ at there is a large number of Catholics
among them is evident. A priest from Y orkville, and a
Protestant minister from Harlem were appointed chaplains,
but neither of them were allowed to reside on the Island.
When three years. ago his Grace, the Archbishop, entrusted
this place to the care of the Society which had al ready all
the other charitable institutions of the island in charge,
and your humble servant was appointed to the chaplaincy
of the emigration on Ward's Island, I saw at once that a
residence on the island was absolutely necessary; so with.out asking leave officially, I took it for granted, and sought
and found board and lodging with a family in the place.
Once established there, none of the Commissioners had the
courage to send me away : and when I remarked that they
connived at my stay, I made a step farther, and asked for a
lodging nearer to the Catholic chapel, which, after some
difficulties and explanations, was granted. I then tnmed
my attention to the furnishing and embellishing of the
chapel, so that it became a point of attraCtion to the inmates
and visitors ; and the commissioners themselves remarked,
not without pride : " That is the way the priest spends
his money ! " The year after, I applied for an increase of
salary to the commissioners, and made a promise to buy a
statue of St. Patrick and St. Bridget, if my petition were
granted. I obtained it, and the two statues adorn an altar
in the chapel. This chapel is in the upper story of a large
fram e building used as a nursery, unfortunately difficult of
access for infirm, old and crippled people, exceedingly hot
in summer and not large enough for all the people in wi nter. For besides the Emigrants' Refuge and Hospital,
which belongs to the state, there is on this island also an
Inebriate Asylum and a Soldiers' retreat belonging to the
city; moreover at the beginning of next year there will be
opened here a large lunatic asylum for 800 patients, to be
�6o
Ward's
Island.
i
transferred from Blackwell's Island. Now as the majority
in all these institutions is Catholic, my congregation wili be !
increased considerably. I say two Masses every Sunday,
preach in English after the second, and during winter in ~
German at Benediction ; still the chapel, seating about 500,
cannot accommodate all. Therefore I made up my mind,
under the protection of St. Joseph, to whom the chapel is
dedicated, to apply to the commissioners ( 13 in number and
only three of them Catholics) for the building of a new
Catholic church in terra .firma. Although I was laughed
at by Ours and strangers, who thought that I was building
castles in the air, and at my first application to the Board
of Commissioners had suffered a defeat, the votes standing
five against five; I had the matter reconsidered last week,
and thanks to the intercession of St. Joseph, carried my ,
point by a vote of seven against three, with an appropriation of $35,000 and the resolution to commence the work •
at once. I hope that by the time this reaches you, the 1
foundations of the new Catholic church will be dug, and that 1
it will be closed in when you come to New York in vacation.
I have not asked yet for the building of a new residence
for the pastor; but that will come, when the church is
built. Qucerite primum regnum Dez: et hcec omnia ac{;ii:i'entur
vobis: i. e. first build th"e church, and the residence of the !
pastor will follow. But do not think that our Protestant I
Commissioners who show themselves so liberal towards I
Catholics, forgot their own. When I was allowed a t:esidence on the Island, application was made for the residence
of a Protestant minister also, but I succeeded in getting him ,,,i
assigned a lodging far enough away, to make him prefer to
stay home than to walk about among the inmates : one of j
the Commissioners was not a little amused, when I applied
for an increase of salary, at my answer to his objection that
the Protestant chaplain would ask for the same. ''By all
means, let him have it, if you think he deserves it; I am
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�Ward's
Island.
61
afraid that if the poor fellow Jo:::s not ..:njoy .some! comfort in
this life he will find little in the next. Moreover that man
is doing more for his people than I would do for mine. "
"How so, Father ? "
"I am afraid, he is damning himself to please his people:
a thing that I would not do for mine : they ought to pay
him well at least in this world."
The Protestants have a chapel on this island of about half
the size of ours, but it is never filled. The greatest part of
the German Protestants are infidels, who laugh at their ministers. There is not much chance of making converts for
fear of provoking reaction. Nevertheless instances have
not been wanting, every year, in which I have been called
to receive into the Church, Protestants, who called for the
Catholic priest, on their death bed, moved by the mercy of
God alone. Among these I always will remember an English lady of good education, who had been sick of consumption for several months. I saw her mostly every day
while making my rounds through the wards of the hospital,
but beyond an ordinary salutation and question about her
physical condition, I never exchanged ·a word with her on
religious subjects, as she seemed to be very bigoted anp
attached 10 her own sect. . One afternoon I had been on a
visit to Blackwell's Island, when a messenger waited for me
on the shore, with a very urgent sick-call. I had seen all
the patients before leaving the island, and could not guess
who required my assistance. Judge of my surprise when I
was conducted to the bed-side of the lady just mentioned
who, in the passage of death, said she could not die without
receiving the rites of holy Mother Church. She knew sufficiently well, what she was about to receive, and scarcely
had I annointed her and after a few prayers turned my steps
to the door, when she expired. I learned here better than
anywhere, how good it is to explain the teachings of our
Holy Religion to all who give us the chance, though they
seem not to heed what we say at the time.
�Ward's
Island.
Yet another conversion I will relate and thus cut short
my epistle, which has grown to longer dimensions than I
expeaed. It is the conversion of a Chinese boy, 14 years
of age. This boy was reduced to slavery by tl_le Chinese
rebels, after his father and mother had been massacred before his eyes. At the age of 10 he was instrumental in saving the life of an American navy officer, who took him on
board of his own frigate and brought him to his family on
Long Island. Johnny Chow learned the English language,
and as the family of the officer were all Methodists, he was
trained up in that sea. After three years he was af!Haed
with an abscess on the spine, which made his presence in
the house of his benefaaors insupportable : so they sent
him to the Emigrants' Hospital on Ward's Island, but never
failed to recommend him to th_e special care of the Protes·tant chaplain who was to see him daily and to bring him
jellies, crackers and candies, and whatever could be of any
comfort to poor Johnny in this world. I, of course, waited
on Johnny too, learned his history and his religious training, and when I found that he was not even baptized, and
that the Protestant minister never spoke to him about Baptism, I explained to him its necessity, and arranged it so
with the Orderly in charge of the ward, that he instruaed
him in his catechism. Johnny himself declared repeatedly,
that he liked the man that baptized much better than the
man that read over him; and thus when his end approached,
and he was asked which of the two clergyman he wished .to
have, he called with a loud voice: "I no want the man that
reads, I want the man that baptises,-he tell the truth."
And so Johnny was ba"ptized and saved his soul without the
aid of jelly and crackers. You may imagine what were the
feelings of the minister when he was informed about it, and
could not make any complaint since he had negleaed to
baptize him. Besides, the boy was not a Protestant but an
infidel, whom an infinitely merciful God brought all the way
from China to Ward's Island to make a Christian of him
and to take him to heaven.
�Central
America.
This, Rev. Father, may do as a beginning of our correspondence; and I hope that you will favor me also with the
news, with which you propose to gladden our dear Society.
I must confess our Lord helped me a little in getting time to
write this letter, by sending me a severe cold, which keeps
me in my room for a day or two. But then I will not wait
for another cold before I write to you again. Wishing you
the very best success in your new enterprise, I will write,
without being called upon, whenever I am in possession of
facts that will suit your laudable purpose, A. M. D. G.
LETTER FROM FATHER VINCENT GARICA
TO FATHER IGNATIUS SANTOS,
RECTOR OF THE SEMINARY AT PORTO RICO.
REV. AND DEAR FATHER RECTOR,
P. C.
Your reverence will be surprised to receive a letter from
me, dated from this city; but such are the ways of Divine
Providence, who direCl:ing all things for the best, has decreed that his children should be wanderer~ on the face of
the earth.
On the 4th of last Sept. we were driven from Guatemala;
we took refuge in this Central American Republic. Of
this faCl: you have been doubtless apprised. I shall confine
my narrative therefore to some few of the painful scenes
through which we have been made to pass.
One the 29th of June the revolution achieved a decisive
triumph ; but its aCl:ion was so awkward and its success so
contrary to every probability, as to make it manifest that
the result was the work of the Lord, who sent it as a chas-
�Central America.
tisement rather than the doing of the four giddy heads
who were pledged to it. On the 30th the liberating(?)army
entered the city, and honors of course were paid to it; but
as the whole city, had taken part with the opposite side during the struggle, it had to submit to be pillaged. Still the
conquerers conducted themselves with moderation. They
gave safe-conducts even to the old ministers- of state:
they were willing moreover to retain in the service the
same officers whom the former administration had employed, and they protested so loudly their unwillingness
to imbrue their hands, or stain their victory with blood, that
many of the simple people gave them credit for good intentions.
On the 13th of Aug. the feast of B. John Berchmans,
hostilities were opened on the college of Quezaltenango.
At 8 o'clock at night GeneraJ.Barrios, previously of the Li·
berating army, but now Commandant of that department,
convoked the municipal officers of the place, and made all
sign a decree for our expulsion. " If you refuse" said he" I
will shoot every one of you." The document was signed.
He then without delay informed the Jesuits that the people
were in a tumult against the Society, and that the municipality, to avoid being knocked down and trampled upon,
had made arrangements for Ours to depart at 3 o'clock in
the morning. There was no remedy for it, they had to go.
Such was the leniency shown them that even one of the fathers who was suffering from pains in the stomach was
pulled or rather dragged along, and then thrown upo"n a
mule to expedite the departure. They then with all the
honors of war, i. e. escorted by a numerous body-guard
began the march. They had gone a distance of two leagues,
when a couple of the fathers, who had little by little got
ahead of the guards, slipped away. Their object was to
reach Guatemala before the enemy, and prevent the Superior in that city from being taken by surprise. They succeeded, arrived in the city four days in advance of the es-
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�Centr.al America.
cort and escorted, and the plans of. the Government were
frustrated. T.he news quickly spread; and the people wer:e
aroused.to such astate of exasperation that the provisional
President was obliged to praB:i~e dissimulation and .to. impute the affair to the arbitrary aB: of a subaltern.. But his
pla~ in reality had been to have us all removed two daY,s
later, to join us on the road and conduB: US: to the port
where lay the. nearest steamer.
On the 18th the Fathers from Quezaltenango arrived at
Guatemala, and were received in triumph. The Bishop,
the Clergy of the Cathedral and more than 200 persons
went out to welcome them. It was 10 o'clock at night, but
the multitude made the air resound with their vivas to the
Evangelical laborers and to religion. Whilst this was going
on, some evil-minded persons called together a patriotic
junta, discoursed an amount of nonsense, and gathered.signatures to a petition drawn up against us. The well-disposed held a meeting also, spoke their mind and framed a
petition in our favor.
The provisional President being able to discern a middle course, willed that every department should sign the
decree for our expulsion. He signified the same. Hereupon, the party in our favor came to the conclusion that
resistance was a necessary measure. The department of
St. Rose took the initiative. At the moment when. the
message arrived, it announced its opposition. Two other
departments joined it, and the united forces of the three
were organized into a body called the Christian army.
The President, at this junB:ure, saw himself between the
sword and the wall. For the Secret Societies of Costa
Rica having assisted him to attain his authority, now threatened him with the poniard, unless he kept the oath he had
taken to banish us. He therefore called together our principal friends and declared to them that he would banish us
though it should cost him the presidential chair. He immediately put the city in a state of siege, etc. etc.
5
�66
Central
America.
It is not possible to relate here all that occurred at this
time, or the efforts of the good people in our defence : the
manifestoes, protests and placards ; the procession of 300
or 400 ladies to the house of the President in order to dissuade him from carrying out his resolution; or the guard- [
ing of our premises night after night by these same ladies, I'
armed with knives to prevent an attack upon us.
1
At length on Sept. 4th at 5 A. M. we "were hurried off I
I·
amid a troop of armed soldiers, leaving the city in conster- i
nation and tears. We departed like true ministers of God, \
each with his crucifix suspended from his neck, and his little pack in his hand. On the road we gathered tears and
sighs; for the people wherever we passed, threw themselves
on their knees, and in the emotions of grief called themselves unfortunate.
At the port of St. Joseph, a· place extremely unhealthy,
we were delayed eight days, at the end of which time a
steamer arrived. Now began the 'second part in the drama ,
of our troubles. The fathers were allowed a part of the
cabin ; but the rest of us were stowed away in the hold of ;
the vessel, a delightful locality, where in the abundance of '
our wants we had to be satisfied with an abundance of cold;
and in the absence of convenience, to put up with every inconvenience, and to mak~ the best of it.
The government had bargained for our passage to Pana- i
rna; and so· we were forbidden to get out and shake our- :
selves at the ports of the neighboring republics, San Salvador and Honduras ; but three days after, we reached Corinth,
Nicaragua, where we were welcomed with open arms.
Two of the fathers went immediately to inform the Lord
Bishop of our arrival. His Lordship instantly put his pal-.
ace at our disposal. On Monday Sep. 18th we made our
entrance into the city, where the Lord Bishop, the clergy
and the entire population dressed in their holiday attire gave
us the honors of a triumphal reception. A band of music
led the procession and the heavens blazed with rockets.
�Central America.
All were full of the liveliest joy, and the welcome was warm
and affeCl:ing. We went to the Cathedral, whence after the
Tt Deum was sung, we repaired to our lodgings. Never in
my life did I see streets so tightly packed with people; if
there wa" one person there, there were 16,000 crowded
upon them.
We are now resting, and recovering from the fevers
which had seized upon us. The people are very kind, and
are providing us with all the necessaries of life; but they
are very poor, and it is only now after a month's stay
that some of us have procured a bed to sleep upon. They
are well disposed to receive the assistance of our ministry.
The men and women come to confession to us, and they
wish us to open a mission among them. The clergy are
enthusiastic in our praise. They have asked us to take
charge of the schools, and the government, which is an excellent one, is in favor of it; but the country is too poor to
inspire confidence. Our stay at this point is only temporary therefore; we shall depart when we have recuperated
and received further orders. By that time the affairs of
Guatemala may be settled; for the entire state is again in
arms, the government is again in jeopardy, and those who
raised the present administration to power are now the
most ardent reaCl:ionists. Unless therefore the Lord decrees to prolong the days of our trial, there is strong reason
to hope for an early return.
But the mail is about to start. Give our best respeCts
to the fathers and brothers.
�68
A Miracle of Lourdes.
AN ACCOUNT OF A MIRACULOUS CURE
EFFECTED AT BOSTON, MASS. BY THE USE OF
THE "WATER OF LOURDES."
The following account was written by Miss O'Donnell the
person cured by the use of the" Water of Lourdes." We insert as.a preface, an extract of a letter dated Dec. 28th I8JI,
from one of our Fathers who has been the young woman's
spiritual director for several years.
.
I have asked Miss O'Donnell herself to write out a little
account of the miracle, which I. enclose. This I think will
.
be more satisfactory, and of course more exact than anything I could write. The cure, you will observe, was
much more sudden than I gave you to suppose. About
Yz after 6 A. M. on the I 8th of August last, her mother
rubbed her with the " water." (This was the first time it
'had been applied to her spine and hip, and only the second
time that she had used it in any way.) At 7{ to 7, the
same morning, I took her Communion, and about 9 the
same morning, she threw aside her crutches. The cure
took place on the third day of the novena, St. Helen's day,
as we afterwards observed, though it was only from accident we selected that day for Communion. It was she
herself who brought me the account this morning.
Miss HELEN O'DoNNELL's AccouNT.
I have suffered from scrofula since my infancy, but the
disease never appeared externally. When about one year
old, my eyes became affected and I was blind nearly all the
time from that age until my fifth year. I remember having:
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�A Miracle ·of Lourdes.
had the back-ache when a little child, but during the'winter of 1859 it troubled me mote than before and I grew
quite sick. At that time Dr. Mason Warren examined my
back and decided that I had the spine disease which was
incurable. All that could be done was to try to keep up
my strength. I grew very much out of shape and could
not stand ereCt. In a few weeks my left hip became diseased, the limb was so drawn up that my foot did n:ot touch
the ground. I was able, however, to walk with crutches
until the spring of 1864, when I grew so much worse that
for fifteen months I was confined to my bed. A swelling
appeared on my right side which grew to be larger than
an egg. In reply to my enquiries as to its charaCter, the
doCtor told me that it came from an·inward swelling, that
it was not a tumor, that I would not die of tumbr, but very
likely of cancer.
I did not go out of the house after the spring of 1864
more than four times and then I had to ride. I was able
at times to go about the house on my crutches, but generally was obliged to keep my bed for several weeks together, and could never sit up a whole day. I was never
out of pain for five minutes at a time. My right arm also
became useless. I first heard of the "Water of Lourdes"
in the fall of 1 8~. I then said I would get well as sobn
as I used it, but I did not know any 'one who had the
miraculous liquid, or who would get it for me. Indeed I
had no hope of ever getting it. In January 1871, I became
very sick. I 'had every day several fainting fits which
lasted from a quarter to a half an hour. I grew weaker
every day. I could not read any longer. I did not. care
to see any person, or to hear any one speak-! felt that I
was dying. At this time I called a physician (Dr. Storer)
to see me, for I had not had one previous to this time for
four years, nor had I taken any medicine. I did not even
take what was ordered in: January last, because I knew it
would not help me. The doB:or while prescribing it said
�A llfiracle of Lourdes.
he thought it would not help me much, but that it would
do me no harm. He thought I could not live long and
that if I did not grow worse quickly, we ought to be very
thankful.
I felt sure the "Water of Lourdes" would cure me, and
the more I thought of it the more certain I grew. In the
last week of July 1871, Sister Superior of the Sisters of
Notre Dame at Lowell sent me a small vial of the "water."
Upon measuring it, I found I had just five teaspoonfuls.
After obtaining the "water" I was afraid to use it, for what
reason I know not. I yet felt I would be perfeB:ly well as
soon as I used it. I would not have been disappointed
however, if I had not been cured. On August 13th a
swelling came on the left side of my neck. I felt as if I
were choking. I took half a teaspoonful of the "water"
and rubbed my neck with it. I than drank a few drops of
it when all the pain and swelling instantly left me. On August 18th I was rubbed all over with the "water" in the
morning, and after receiving Holy Communion swallowed
a few drops of it and afterwards took my breakfast. After
this I thought I would try to walk and so started without
my crutches. I found I could really walk. Both my feet
touched the floor. My back was perfeB:ly straight, the
swellings all gone and I had no pain. I got safely across
the room, and went down one flight of stairs and up again
without any difficulty~ Since then I have been perfeB:ly
well and can walk as well as any person. I have had no
return of pain or disease. The " water " appears like oil
when one uses it.
..
D. 0. M.
�\VOODSTOCI( LETTERS.
VOL. I., No.
2.
FATHER WHITE'S RELATION.
[ (.(mtinucd.]
On Sunday the 24th and Monday the 25th of November,
we enjoyed prosperous sailing. At that time, the wind
veering- towards the north, there arose so great a storm that
the London merchantship of which I spoke, retracing its
course, steered for England, and a port r:elebrated among
the Paumonians, Our pinnace, too, for it was only offorty
tons burden, began to be distrustful of its strength, and
heaving to, cautioned us, that in case it feared shipwreck,
it would signal us by lights shown from the masthead.
For ourselves, we were carried in the meantime, in a
strong ship of four hundred tons burden, as good as could
be framed of wood and iron. vVe had a most skilful CapDie igitur Dominica, 24ta, et die Lunae, 25ta, Novembris, usque ad
vespcr:un prospem usi sumus navigatione. Tum vero ventis in Aquiloncm obversis, tanta cxorta est tempestas ut oneraria quam dixi Londinensis, retroacto cursu, Angliam et portum apucl Paumonios celebrem
repetierit. Celox etiam nostra vasorum tantum 40 cum esset, viribus
coepit diffiLlerc et adnavigans monuit sc si naufragium rnetueret id Ju.
minibus· e carchesio ostcnsis significaturam. Vehcbamur interim nos
Valida IJavi vasorum quadrigcntorum, nequc aptior ex ligno et ferroconstrui potcrat. Navarcho utelmmur pcritissimo; data est illi itaque optio
�-..,
1-
Father H'ltitc's Relation.
tain. He had the choice either of retuming to England or
of struggling with that sea, which, should it prove victorious, would dash us upon the Irish coast, hard by,-notorious for its breakers and very frequent shipwrecks. The
daring spirit of the Captain, and a wish to test the strength
of the new vessel, on its maiden voyage, gained the day.
He concluded, then, to try the sea, which he admitted was
the more dangerous, owing to its narrowness.
The danger, indeed, was not far distant; for, about midnight, during the prevalence of high winds and very rough
seas, we descried the pinnace in the distance, with two lights
hanging out from her masthead. Then, indeed, we thought
there was an end of the pinnace, and that she had gone
down in the deep whirlpools, for in a moment more she had
escaped our sight, and not until six or seven weeks afterwards did we get any sign of her. So, we were all persuaded that the pinnace had perished. However, God had provided better things for us; for, perceiving herself unequal to
the waves, and avoiding in time the Virginia ocean by
which we were nqw tossed, she returned to England and
the Scilly isles. Sailing thence on her return voyage, along
with the Dragon, whose company she had as far as the
rPdenndi si vellet in .Anglinm, vel cum Y!'ntif' porro colluctandi, quibu~ ~i
eederet expectabat nos e proximo litus llibernicum caecb seopuli~, et
freqnenti~simis naufragiis infame. Vicit tanwn navarchi audax animus
ct desiderinm probandi quae vires esscnt novae, quam tum primum tmctabat, mwi. Scdit animo cxperiri marc quod eo fatcbatur esse lWri!'ulo~ius quo angnstius. N eque pericnlumlonge alwrat; vent is l'nim turgt·ntihus, et mari· exnsperato circa mPdiam noetem vidl'rc crat celocPm prot~ul
duo lumina a carchcsio protenrlcntem. Tum scilicet actum de ilia es~e.
et altis haustam vortiribns existimnbamus, momPnto enim conspl'etum
ell"ugerat, neque nisi pm<t sex septimana>< (:jus indicium aliqnotl ad no><
cmanavit. I tuque 1wriisse celocem cunctis emt persnaf'nm: nwliom
tamen providerat Deus; nam se 1\uctibus imparem sentiens mntnre (keanum Virginium cum quo jam nos luctahamus dev1tan~. in Anglimnnd
insulas Sillinus revert it, unde postliminia Dracone co mite ad Sim~m )lagmnn, nos ad Insulas Antillas, ut dicemus, est asspcnta, DPo <'ni mil~i­
mormn cum est, cxiguae naviculae deduce et custode pru~pieienle.
�Fatlzcr lf'lzitc's Relation.
73
Great Bay, she came up with us, as we will tell, at the Antilles, God who has care of the smallest things, providing a
guide and guardian for our little boat.
·
Meanwhile, the ship's crew, ignorant of what had befallen
her, fell a prey to the keenest alarm and dread, which the
frequent terrors of a dismal night served to augment. At
dawn of day, although we had the southwest wind against
us, still, since it was comparatively light, we were enabled
to make some headway by frequent tacking.
In like manner during Tuesday, \Vednesday, and Thursday, the winds being variable, we made little progress. On
Friday, under the influence of an easterly gale, which drove
the gray clouds together in threatening masses, such a
storm of wind burst upon us, towards dusk, as threatened at
every moment, to engulf us in the waves. Nor did the following morning, which was the festival of St. Andrew,
the Apostle, promise any abatement. The clouds, massing
together from every quarter in a frightful manner, before
they were rent asunder by the lightnings, were a terror to
those that beheld them; and the opinion prevailed that all
the spirits of storrt1s and all the malignant and evil genii of
Maryland had come forth in battle array against us. As
the day declined, the Captain perceived a sunfish making in
the direction opposite the sun's course, which' is the most
At vero nos evcntus ignaros dolor ct mctus premebat, quem tetra nox
fi·cqucntibus tocta terronhus augebat. lllueescente die, cum AfHcum
haberemus contrarium, quia tamen languidior erat, per multas ambagcs
lente provchebamur. Ita ~Im·tis, ~Icrcurii ct J ovis dies variantibus ventis exiguo profectu abiere. Die Veneris ohtincntc Euro ct glaucas cogenie nubl's vento gravidas, tantus circa vespenun se turbo etfudit ut
111omentis singulis involvcndi tluctibus vidercmur. Neque mitiora promittebat lux inscquens Andreae Apostolo sacm. Nubes terrificum in
1110rem undique excresoentes tcrrori crant intuentibus antequam discinllcrcntur; et opinionem facicbant prodiisse adversum nos in acicm omncs
spiritus tcmpestatum maleficos ct malos genios onmes Marylandiac. Inelinantc die vidit navnrchus piscem solis cursui solari obnitcntem, quod
horriuae tcmpestatis ecrtissimum indicium. Neq ue fides abfuit augurio :
�74
Fat!tcr H7titc's Relation.
certain indication of d. horrid storm. The pre~age proved
not untrue; for about ten o'clock at night, a black cloud
rained down upon us in fearful wise. This was accompanied by a gale so dreadful, that it was necessary to take
in sail with all speed; nor could that be done with sufficient expedition, before the mainsail, under which alone we
were running, was rent in twain from top to bottom.
One
part of it was carried into the sea, and afterwards recovered
with difficulty. In this juncture, the courage of the bravest, whether passengers or sailors, began to flag ; for they
confessed that they had seen the best ships go down in a
lighter storm.
But the tempest enkindled the prayers and vows of the
Catholics in honor of the most Blessed Virgin Mother, and
her Immaculate Conception, of St. Ignatius, the patron of
:\Iaryland, St. l\lichael, and all the tutelar angels of the
place. And each one strove, by holy confession, to purge
his soul : for after having lost the guidance of our helm, the
ship was tossed about at the mercy of winds and waves, till
such time (a thing you may learn out at sea) as God should
open a way of safety. In the beginning, I cqnfess, fear for
the loss of the ship and of my own life had taken hold of
nau1 circa decimam nocturnam -caeca nubes atrocem clepluit imhr£>m.
Ilunc tam immanis turbo suscepit ut n£>c£'ssc fucrit quantocius ad vela
contrahenda accurrere; nequc id fieri tam expedite potuit, quam a£'atium
sen velum majus, quo solo navigabamus, medium a summo dcorsum finderetur. Ejus pars una in marc delata aegre rec£>pta est.
Hie fortissimi cnjusque sivc vectoris, sive nautae est consternatus ani'mus; fatebantur enim vidi~se se celsas naves minori procella prnecipitatas. Accendit vero is turbo Catholicorum preccs et vota in honorcm
Beatae Virginis Matris et Immaculatae ejusdem Coneeptionis, Sancti
Ignatii, Patroni Marylandiac, Sancti Michaelis et tutelarium ibidem Angelorum. Et quisque animum suum sacra exomologesi expiarc conlcndebat. Nam clavi moderaminc amisso, navigium jam umlis ct vcntis
derelictum ftuctuabat, ut in aqua discnt, dum Deus ~a! uti viam aperirct.
Initio, fateor, occupavernt me mctus nmittendne navis ct vitae; postea
vero qunm tempus aliquod orationi, minus pro more mco quotidiano
�F atlzcr TV/zitc' s Relation.
75
m~.
but after I had sp~nt some time in prayer, less after my
daily lukewarm manner, and had declared to Christ, our
Lord, the most Blessed Virgin, St. Ignatius, and the Angels of .Maryland, the purpose of this voyage, to wit, to
honor the blood. of the Redeemer· in the salvation of barbarians, to the same Saviour to build a kingdom, if he would
deign to prosper my humble endeavors, and to consecrate
a new dower to the Immaculate Virgin Mother, and many
other like purposes, there gladdened my soul within no
small degree of comfort, and' so happy an assurance did I
feel that we would weather not only this, but any future
storm that no shade of doubt was left in my mind.
'When the sea was raging most violently, I had given myself to prayer, and, let it n dound to the glory of God alone!
while as yet I had scarcely ended, I perceived the tempest
to be abating. That circumstance in truth, girded my soul
with new strength and, at the same time filled me with joy
and wonder, since in it I recognized with greater clearness
the exceeding benevolence of God towards the people of
Maryland, to whom your Reverence has sent us. lllessed
forever be the most sweet goodness of our Redeemer!
When the sea was become calm again, the rest of the voyage, whiclt lasted for the space of three months, was most
tepidc, impcndisscm, ntque Christo Domino, Bcntne Yirgini, St. Ignntio
et Angelis ~[nrvlnndiac cxposuissem propositum hujus itineris esse san·
guincm Hedcmptoris nostri in salute Barbnrorum honorarc, eitlcm Servatori regnum (si conatus lcnucs sccundarc dignctur) crigcre, dotem alteram Immaculatac Virgini Matri consccrarc, ct similia multa, affulsit intus in animo consolatio non mediocris, ct simul }Jcrsuasio tam certa nos
non ab hac procella tantum, sed' ab omni alia itinere isto libcrandos, ut
nullus apud me esse possct dubitandi locus. Dedcrmn me orationi cum
mare saeviret, maximc (et quod ad Dei unius gloriam ccdat) vix dum
eatn finiermn, cum scdbse animadvertcbam tempcstatem. Id scilicet novo qnodam me induit habitn :mimi, perfuditque simul gaudio ingenti et
admiratione cum impcnsam Dei in ~Iarylandiae populos voluntatem (ad
quos Ra. Va. nos misit) hand paulo amplius persentirem. Dulcissima
Redemptoris nostri bonitas in acternum luudctur!
Cum ita dcfcrbuissct jam mare, reliqua trium mensium navigatio pia-
�;6
Fatfzcr H7titc's Rdatiorr,
prosperous, so that the Captain and his men declared that
they had never seen one more tranquil; nor, for a single
hour, did we suff:.:r any inconvenience. \\'hen I say three
_months. however, I do not mean that we were at sea so
long a time, but I take into the account tbe whole voyage
and our delay at the Antilles; for the voyage itself lasted onlv seven weeks and two davs, which is considered expediti~us. After that time, while' we were coasting along
the shores of Spain, \Ve had a wind neither adverse, nor ye~
l:·worable; we were in dread of Turkish corsairs, but we fell
in with ·none. Perhaps they had gone to celebrate their
annual fast, which they call Ramadan, for it occurred at
that time of the year. After passing the pillars of Hercules
and the l\Iadciras, we were scudding, under full sail, before
the winds (which are not variable here, but set constantly
towards the south and southwest, which was our course,)
when there appeared three vessels, one of which was larger in bulk than ours. They ·seemed to be about three
leagues distant to the west, and to be endeavoring to come
up with us, as also to be sending messages backward and
forward, in close conference. As we susp~cted them to be
cidissima fuit, ut navarchu01 cum ~ui~jucumliort>m ~~· vidis~t· numqunm, nul.
quiPiiorem n~,:everaverit; nl"que- enim uniuB horae pa"si ~umu,; incommodum. Cum vero Ires menst•s nomino; non llico no~ tnmdiu mare in"t•dissc, Red iter integrum el moras qnas in Antillis insulis traximus adlllllllero. Navigat io enim ipsa seplt-m hehdom.adns et duos t.nntummodo
dies tl•nuit, itl<ttJe ePnsetur expPditum.
,\.h eo igit ur tempore quantn lit us Hispaninc ll'gehamu~. nrqnt• adver~<;,
JH'que n•nto atlmodum pro~pPrn usi sum us: verchamur Turcas, nullo;;
tanwn hab1timns ohvios; reeep<·rant Be forta~~e ad solemne jejunium,
quod Hammlan vocant, celdmmdum, in ill:tm cnim nnni tempebt:ttem ineidchat. Pral'tt>rvectis antem frt'tmn IIercnlenm et ::\laderas, et venti~
pnppi vela implentil.Jns (qui non jam vagi, ~ed ad Anstrnm et Africnm
qui noster ernt cnrsus, con~tanter ~C"dent) app:trnernnt tres naves, quanun
una nostrnm mole superahnt; dist:trc aull'm videhnntur ad Ires circill'r
lcncm< versus oceidentem, ct nobis obviam conari, interdum etiam ad mvicem ultro eitroquc mitt ere ct. percontmi. Cum su~picnremur esse Tnr-
�Fatltcr JF!zitc's Rdation.
77
Turklsl1 pirates, we made ready for action. Some of our
men even went so far as imprudently to urge the Captain
to give chase, and close with tl1em. But as he himself was
responsible to my Lord Baron, he doubted whether in such
a case he could have had a probable reason to assign for
l1is conduct. And, indeed, I judge the engagement would
have been a hazardous one, though perhaps, they were as
much afraid of us as we were of them, and were, as I conjecture, merchantmen, bound for the Canaries, not f.'1r d:stant, and either could not overtake us or were unwilling to
do so.
After this, having arrived at the Canaries, we glided intD
a spacious bay, where \Ve had nothing to fear except from
calms, by reason of which (since they continue fifteen days,
and sometimes even three weeks) the ship's provisions give
out. But that happens rarely, scarcely once or twic..: in a
life-time. Nevertheless, delays are frequently protracted
for want of wind, which, as it blows ever in the same direction, chanced to be propitious to our voyage.
In this bay
we completed a run of over three thousand Italian miles,
cutting the milk-white sea with full sails, the calm never de<·.arum Pyraticns, cxpetlieh:unns qmwcnnHJlle ad pngnmn crant neeessuria.
::'I'Pqne deerant ex nostl"i~ qui nu,·nrchum imprudentius stimularent ut
("t~ nitro u~greden·t.ur ac lac<·~'eret..
SPd dominnm habehat, cui cum
n•tldetHla et·at ratio, prohahilem se po:;se pugnae cnusam ali'<•tTe dubitahat. Et quitlcm cnntlictnm diflicilem habiturum fnisse Pxistimo; quamquam forta~~e quantum all illis nos, tantum nos illi mC'htehant, et erant,
Itt eonjcctura ass<·quor, mpn·atores qui ad F'ortunntns non procul di:.;~i·
I.a.:< tendeh:mt, et vl'l non poteran·t nos asspqui vel nolPb:mt.
Hinc ad lnsulas Fortunatns delnti, sinu tnn;.(no ~usCPpti fitimus, in quo
Hlllius metus nisi ex malaeiis, qunP cum quill(lecim dil'lms et tnhus nli'Ptamlo septimnni>~ perdm'('nt, deficit navigantC's conunpatus. hl VC'ro
raro, et vix >~neculo uno semel aut iternm accidit. FrP<pH•ntissimae nihilominus trnhendae sunt morae, defici!'nte vento, qni emu spirat, unus
N idem semper est, hnic nostrae navigntioni propilius. In hoc sinu <·on·ti•dmus millinrium Italicorum tria millia, plenis vl'ii~ mare s<'<·nntt'H hu~
h•um, nusqnam impediPnte malacia nisi qu:uuloque eirea meriuiem una
hont.
'
�;s
\
Father TV!zite's Rc!atio1t.
laying us except for an hour about noontide. I do not
readily perceive the reason of so constant a wind, un:ess.
perchance, one may say it arises from the proximity of the
sun running between the tropics, and attracting from the
sea two kinds of exhalations, one dry, from the sea-salt;
the other moist, from the water. The first of these phenomena is the cause of wind, the second, of rain. Thus,
the twofold attraction of the sun would aptly show why
these natural agencies keep the sun's oblique track, and follow in its wake. This reason may explain also, why we
experienced between the two tropics at the same time, and
within regular intervals, at morning, noon, and nightfall.
both great heat and copiom: rain·s ; or at least may account
for the ,high winds that prevailed during these hours. From
the same source we may draw the reason of the absence of
calms in the gulf during this se·ason ; for the sun being in
the tropic of Capricorn, beyond the equiHoctial line, and
declining towards its extreme southern limit, (as was the
case while we were between the I 3th and I 7th degree, when
the heats are as fierce there in our winter months as they
are in the summer months in Europe) it attracts the wind
and rain in an oblique direction towards the line, and in
Hand fucilem invenio rntionem tam const:mtis venti, nisi forte id oriri
quis dixerit ex vicinin Solis inter duos Tropicos int• rcurrentis, et vi sua
attrnhentis ex mari duo genera meteorum, siccum unum ex mm·in salsedinc, alterum humidum ratione aquae; ex priori fit ventus, ex posteriori
generantur pluviac. Sol itaquc utrumquc ad sc cvehens causa est, cur
eumdem cum Sole obliquum semper cm·sum servent, Solemque pcrpetup
sequuntur. Atquc eadem potuit esse ratio cur inter duos Tropieos cxpcrti sum us ingcntem simul calorem ct copiosnm pluvimn, idquc constantcr mane, meridic, vespere, vel saltem ventos iis horis vehementiorcs.
Hinc ctiam deduci ratio })()lest cur hoc tempore sinus a malnciis Iiber fuerit. Nnm Sol in Tropico Cnpricorni existcns, ultra linenm reqninoctiaJem, et ad ejusdem lineae extremum pnrtem meridionalem declinans (ut
nobis nccidit inter 13m. et 17m. grndum .iEquntoris positis, quando mcnsibus nostris hibcrnis calores sunt ihi, qnaqti nestivis mensibns in Europa)
attrahit oblique ventum ct pluvinm ad lincnm nequinoctiulcm, atquc in-
�ratkcr White's Rdatzon.
79
<:onsequence, during these months, the winds are more
steady, in this gulf especially, and towards the tropiC; or
Cancer. In the summer season, on the other hand, \vhen
the sun is crossing the equator towards us, and attracts
the salt and aqueous vapors, not obliquely, but almost,
perpendicularly, then, calms are of more frequent occurrence.
Here I cannot refrain from extolling the divine goodness
which causes all things to work together for good unto them
that love God. For, had we been permitted to weigh anchor without delay on the 2oth of August, the day we had
determined upon, as the sun at that time struck the vertical
on this side of the equator, the very intense heat would not
only have caused the loss of our provisions, but brought
disease and death to almost all of us. The delay eventuated
in our safety; for, embarking in winter, we were free from
inconveniences ·of this kind, and·; if you except the usual
sea-sickness, no one was attacked with any disease up to
the festival of the Nativity of our Lord. That this day
might be more joyfully celebrated, the wine flowed freely,
and some who drank immoderately, aboi.it thirty in number,
were seized with a fever the next day, and twelve of their
et
.t'le iis mensibus venti sunt certiores, et in hoc sinu praesertim, versus
TropJCum Cancri. Frequentiores autcm sunt malaciae cum aestivo
~mpore Sol ..<Equatorem transit ad nos, attrahitque meteors salsa et
tquea non oblique, sed fere perpendiculariter.
. , · ..
Hie autem non possum non extollere divinam bonitatem, quae diligentibus Deum facit ut omnia cooperentur in bonum. Si enirn, nulla inject&
mora, licuisset eo tempore solvere quo constitueramus, mensis •scilicet
A.ugusti vigesimo, Solem cis JEquatorem verticem feriente, intensissimi
calorcs non solum annonae !ahem; sed plerisque ·omnibus morbo11, mortemque attulissent. Mora N~luti fuit, nam hieme conscendentes hujusmolli incommodis caruimus; et si consuetas navigantibus nauseaa excipias, nemo morl.Jo aliquo tentatus est usque ad festum· Nativitatis Domlni. Is dies ut celebrior esset pwpinatu,u l·st vinum, quo qui usi sunt,
intemperantius febri correpti sunt p.oxima luce numero triginta; et ex
lla non ita multo post mortui sunt circiter duodecim, inter quos duo
�So
ratfzer lVhitfs Rebtitllf.
number not long after, died. Am::mg these were two Catholics, Nicholas Fairt:'lx and James Barefoot, \';ho were much
regretted by us ali.
C.1tho!ici m'l~:mm sni ap'd o:n'les d'c3ilbrin.n reliq:tenmt ~icolaus Far:bxius et Jacouus Bmefote.
[To be continued.]
THE CONDITION OF THE PROVINCE OF I'fiEXICO AT ITS EXPULSION·: JUNE 25, 1767.
The .Rev. Father Andrew Artola, Provincial o' the Society in Mexico, has lately published a_ complete Catalogue
of the mem!Jers that constituted, at the time of their expul~ion, the Province of the Society in . 1\lexico, or, as it was
then called, New Spain. It gives in detail the number of
individuals, their age, place of nativity, grade and occupations, as well as the colleges, houses, residences and missions, through which they ~vere distributed. \Ve believe
it will be of no little interest to our readers to glance rapidly at what the Society was scarcely a century ago in re-.
! ions of Am::ric:t where now, unfortunately, she is hardly
I nown.
In 157 I ,'Philip IT., K!ng of Sp:1in, requested St. Fnnc;is
J orgia, then general of the Society, to appoint so:ne t:<ther.>to come over to New Sp:1in, where they might ex-::rcise the
ministry oftheir vocation as they had done Ill Peru, Florida'
rnd other p~rts of Spanish America. The saintly general
~cceclcd to the.i-equest, and in the tnmirig year there arri\eda: San Juan de Ulua fifteen members having for Supe-
~.
�Pnruincc of llfexi'co
i11
17q7.
8t
rror, E Pedro Sanchez, of the Province of Castile, a distinguished doctor of Salamanca, and at the time of his nomination to the new mission, professor of theology at the
college of the Society in that city.
During the space of two centuries the Society labored
with abundant fruit in the Mexican country, until in 1767,
by a decree of Charles III., all the Jesuits then in the Span- ,
ish realms were condemned to banishment and conducted
to Italy. Father Raphael de Zelis, who was a native of
Vera Cruz, but:at the date of the expulsion was studying
rhetori-c in the college and novitiate of Tepotzotlan, took
care to preserve the memory of his companions in exile by
writing in I 786 the greater part of the catalogue now before
us. After the demise of F. Zelis, which took place at Bologna, July 25th, I795. the list of the departed members was
continued by F. Pedro Marquez, whom the decree of banishment reached at the opening of his first year of theology
in the Collegium Maximum of the city of Mexico.
From this catalogue we learn that on the 25th of June,
1767, the day on which the royal decree was made know!\
to the Jesuits in every house of the province, the Society in:
Mexico, or New Spain, counted 678 members. Of these,
280 were professed of four vows, 2 of tlu e ~ vows, I 8 w .:re
spir. coadjutors, 78 were formed te.nporal co:1djutors, 34
were temporal coadjutors not yet formed. There were besides, I I 2 scholastics, and I 18 fathers who were still studying, or who, lEwing finish!'!d their studies, had not attained
their grade; 65 of these made the profession of four vows,
and 4 of three vows, when in banishment. There were 25
scholastic novices, and 1 I novice brothers.
It may surprise some that in a province so numerous the
proportion of scholastics was so small. But we must bear
in mind that in those times the Society could, and usually
did, require of its candidates the completion of their philosophical studies before entering the novitiate. This fact explatn.> also why there were but fifteen students of philosophy
to forty-seven of theology.
�Prvv-ilzc(: of iff.:xico in r ;6g.
of
Of the 6;8 subjects in the province, 464 w.:re nativt."S
.America, 153 of Sfnin, and 61 of various other parts of Europe. They were distributed among 37 colleges, 5 n.:sidences and 6 missionary districts or departments. The subjoined table will show their position and numbers.
-------------- -----~-----
"HOUSES OF THE
SOCIETY.---Prie>ts.fsd:;l-~Bros.
I
IN THE CITY OF }lEXICO.
l
The professed house, in whkh resided \he Pro.
vinCial,
. ·. .
.
22
,The Collegium )laximum,
Rt
· The College of St. Andrew,
1 14
The Vollege of St. Gregory,
.
r 10 '
'l'he College of St lldelonsus, .
'
5'
.
-.
IN THE CITY OF LA PUEBLA.
-
.
.-
.-
.
\
1~
1(;
H
1~
2
3,
15-
3
1
, I
1
. ~.
11,
4!)'
7
17
2
IN GUADALAJAUA.
I
A Seminary ~nd a College,
~.~.
i7
•7
-~
A Seminary for the Ind'n~s, ,and a College atlathed to ~he_.i\ovitiate, .
.
. ' .
'!'.
14
I
- Tlui house o~ t !H:• Tcrtians and the College of the; ~
. Holy Spmt,
.
.
.
. · . · .
- The College of St. lldefonsus, · .
.
. · .
The College of St Francis Xavier, . · . . .
Two diocesan Seminaries-St. Jerome and St.
Ignatius. -The former was a higher; the latter a preparatory seminary, with grammar
scho~>ls for the Indians.
.
.
.
.
1
-t }N :rnE TOWN OF TEPOTZOTLAN.
I
. IN GUATEMALA.
1
A Sem'nary _and a ~oll!'ge,
11
IN QUERETARO.
,.
A Seminary and a ColJe,.e
..
··-
2'
l)
1
13
li
II
~
IN ZACATECAS.
A Seminary and a College,
IN DURANGO.
- A Seminary a~d a Coll~o-e ,
0
I
7
�Province of ilfexico
tn
IIOU3E3 OF THE SOCIETY.
A Seminary and a College,
I767.
Priests. I Schols. Bros.
-- - - -6
'1
1
2
1
1
:1
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
IN :\IERIDA.
A. Seminarv and a College,
IN VALL.\IJouo.-A College,
hi II.WA!>A.-A College, .
I~ 0.\.JACA.-A College, .
IN L~;os.-A College,
.
IN GuANAJUATo.-A College, . .. .
IN SA!> Lms DE PoTosr.-.\. College,
bi Vr.nA Cnuz.-A College, .
.
.
1N ZELAYA.-A College, .
.
.
.
bi CIUD.\D REAI., ort CmAPAs.-A College,
hi S.nr Lurs In: LA PAz.-A College,
.
IN PuEnro DEr. PmscrPE.:-A Residence,
IN CIIIGUAGUA.-A Rl•sidencc,
1N PAIUUL.-A He~L\ence,
IN C.UIPECITE.-A Residence,
IN CrsALO.\,-A College,
7
'13
13
8
5
8
6
9
7
5
7
4
1
3·
2
2
Unknown.
The missionary districts, or departments-six in number
-comprised 99 missions, established in various towns and
villages, attended by I04 fathers arid one coadjutor bmther.
Their distribution is here given.
The district of Cinaloa, attended by 2 I fathers, was divided into 20 missions. They were:-The missions of Viribis,
Caamoa, Mocorito, Nio, Guazave, Chicorato, ·Mochicave,
·vacca, Toro, Torin, Bachun, Rahun, Santa Cruz, Batacosa,
Conicari, Nabojoa, Tehueco, Belen, Ocoroni, and Bacubinito.
The district of California, attended by I 2 fathers aud · 1
brother, comprised I4 missions. They were :-La Pasion,
S. Xavier, Guadalupe, S. Luis, Santa Rosa, Santiago; S.
Jose, La Purisima, Sta. Rosalia, San Ignacio, Sta. Gertrudis, San Borja, Sta. Maria and Loreto.
The district of Chinipas had I 2 fathers for its I 2 missions :
viz.-de Guasarapes, Sta. Ana, Secora, Moris, Babaroco,
Sta. Ines; Serocagui, Tubares, Satebo, Baburigame, Nabogame, and S. Andres.
�Pnruincc
of llfcxico in 1767.
The district of Nazareth included 7 missions attended by
6 fathers: viz.-Sta. Rita, Sta. Teresa, Iscatan, Jesus l\Iaria,
La Trinidad, Guainamota, and Rosario.
The district of Sonora included 28 missions in which 30
fathers labored: viz.-de Guazavas, Aconche, l\Iatape, Oposura, l\lovas, S. Ignacio, Arip:!, Aribechi, Batuco, Onavas,
Cucurupe, Cumuripa, Saguaripa, Sta. l\Iaria Soanca, Tubutama, Odope, S. Xavier del Bac, Saric, Tecoripa, Ures, Caborca, Sta. l\laria Basaraca, Babispe, Baca de Guachi, Cuquiarachi, Guebabi, Onapa, and Banamicl1i.
The district of Taraumara contained I 6 missions with I 9
fathers to attend them. They were :-d::: l\Iatachio, Temotzachic, S. Tomas,· Papigochic, Tutuaca, Tomachi, SisoguiChi, Kakichi, San Borja, Coyeachic, Temeaichi, Norogachi, Nonoava, Chinarras, Gueguechic, Nararachi.
The administration of these extensive missions was conducted as follows :-All the missionaries were under a Visitor General. This officer was at the time of the expulsion,
F. Emanuel Aguirre, residing in Baca de Guachi, of the
district of Sonora.
The members of each district were, moreover, under an
immediate Superior who held the title and authority of Rector. These were:·
In the district of Cinaloa, F. Joseph Garfias, of the c~l­
le_;e of Cinaloa. In Chit1ipas, F. Manuel Clever, of the
mission of St. Anne. In Nazareth, F. Anthony Polo of
the mission of St. Rita. In Sonora, F. John Nentvig, of
the mission of Guazavas. In Taraumara, F. Bartholom~w
Braun, of the miss:cn of Ttn otLzchic. In tl~e di:.tri(t of
Califi1rnia, on account of its broad extent, there were two,
-F. Lambert Hostel, of the mission of the Passion, and
F. Francis Escalante, of the mission of St. "Rosalia.
But as the missionaries were isolated from each other,
and resided in localities m.1ny leagues apart, there was in
each district, a special officer whose duty it was to visit constantly the various missions.
They were the following;-
�Pro·ilincc of J.lLrico in
I
767.
8;
In C.llifornia, F. B !Utn Ducrue, of the mission of GuadllU?~In C:1!nip1.;, F. Jo!lll Cub~du, of the mission of
St. Agnes. In NlZ'lr~th, F. Bartholomew \Volff, of the
mission of St. Th~r-:sa. In Sonora, F. Emanuel Aguirre,
of the mission of B tc 1 d ~ Gtn.chi. In Taraumara, F. Philip
Ruo'lnova, of the mission of Matachio
Finally, at the college of St Andrew in the city of Mexico, a father procurator :for California, and another for the
rcm1inin;; missiotu, r~.;id.!d with the procurator general.
The di'stribution of labor among the members was as follows:
There were 4 I 8 priests, I 3l scholastics, I 33 coadjutor
broth~rs. Ofthe priests, 53 w~re superiors, 104 were missionaries among the Indians, 187 labored in the ministry in
the loc::tlities to which they were appointed. Of these last,
I 2 were chaplains of prisons, I 6 prefects of Christian doctrine, and 1 I went from place to place giving missions to
the people. There were, moreover, 3 professors of sacred
scripture, I9 of scholastic theology, 10 of moral, 3 of canon
law, I 5 of philosophy, 3 of physics, 8 of humanities, 7 of
l\Iexican languages ; 6 were incapacitated by reason of age
or infirmities.
Of the scholastics, 47 were students of theology, I 5 of
philosophy, 27 of rhetoric' I9 were professors of the humanities, 2 5 were novices, 4 invalids.
Such was the condition of the Mexican province on the
day when the decree of banishment was promulgated, The
execution of the decree was conducted in the following
order;
From the 26th of July until the 29th of Nov., 5 I 5 Jesuits were shipped in 15 vessels from the port of Vera Cruz
and sent to Italy, thus:
On the 26th of July, 55 were sent ;-on the 25th of
Oct., ther~ W.!re sent in various ve;;sels respectively so. 50,
40, 35, 30, 30, 10 ; -on the 8th of Nov., 30 ;-I 9tl~ of Nov.,
�86
Provi11ce of Mexico in 1767.
40, 15, 20 ;-29th ditto, 6o, 50;- I 2 scholastic novices and
6 novice coadjutors followed the fathers into exile.
In consequence of the evils arising from close crowding,
from the failure of resources and the insalubrity of the
climate, 35 died in the port of Vera Cruz whilst awaiting
transportation ; 5 died at Havana where the vessels touched port ; 2 during the voyage, and 13 at Cadiz.
In the course of the same months, F. Joseph Elvillar, tl1e
oldest of the province, as also two members, who, owing to
age or infirmities were left in the city of Mexico, and one
left in Queretaro, passed to a better world.
In exile the members of the Mexican province took up
their abode in the legations of Bologna and Ferrara; and
even after the suppression of the Society in 1773, the
greater part of the Mexican Jesuits remained in the same
cities, where this last blow overtook them, and there ~ne
by one paid the last debt of pur nature.
�FORT HILL AND ENVIRONS.
About three hundred years ago, when all the nations of
Europe were fitting out expeditions in quest of a new pa·ssage to the East Indies, and not unfrequently discovering
new continents in their search, the Indian tribe of flfatinekocks* was enjoying the peaceful possession of a considerable tract of land on the island, called by them lVIeittr.vax;
but later, named Nassau Island by the English colonists,
and Long Island by the Dutch. Among their picturesque
plases of resort was a small peninsula, jutting out into
Long Island Sound, and known among them as Caumsett.
There was nothing perhaps in the little spot to distinguish
it from numberless similar places around it; but still its native beauties, no limning of language can adequately portray. Here were the same sombre forests with their melancholy grandeur; the same giant productions of a fertile
soil, rising like huge monsters from the rich earth, while
luxuriant vines which had clambered up to the highest
tops, and thence sprung from tree to tree, hung down in
verdant garlands of waving drapery. Here, as elsewhere,
reigned the deep silence of nature, broken only by the gentle sighings of the .trees as they swayed to and fro over
the bank to catch a glimpse of their leafy beauties in the
unruffled sea beneath them, "where Neptune held a mirror
to their charms ; " or by the immense flocks of water-fowl,
*Some historians spell the name of this tribe Jfatinecock1, but we hnvo
ado!Jtcd the other spelling, as, we think, more consi8tent with the Indi·
an idiom. -~fartinnelwuck was the name of one of their villages.
N.Y. CoLON. ~loS. YoL. 1.
�88
Fort Hzl! am! Eizviiwzs.
as they returned to their secluded retreats and settled down
with a noisy splash in the adjacent bay. Occasionally also,
a small canoe would dart from under cover of the bank.
and speed across the sound, dimpling the surface of the blue
waters; or a noble deer, pursued by the swift-footed Indian,
would spring boldly from the height, and be seen for a time
with its branching antlers raised above the deep; while the
pursuer, checking himself suddenly on the very verge of the
beetling cliff, would gaze in astonishment on the prey that
had eluded his grasp.
\Ve can picture to ourselves one of these powerful inhabitants of his native forests, as stately and as wild as they,
standing b.:dizened with gaudy plumage on the eminence
of Caumsctt, some hundred and fifty feet above the level of
the sea, and looking about him on the noble landscape,
where nature so f:<ir had spread her features wild. Towards
the setting sun, he perceives the bay commonly called by
the /ndyaus by J'C name if Nadwquatuck,* and by the English, Cold Spring, which enters inland, almost at right an"
gles to the Sound. Straight across this bay, another opening presents itself; it is Syosset or Oyster Bay, which after
winding about, as a river, loth to forsake shores so enchanting, returns on its course, making what was once an island,
but what is now connectea with the mainland by a narrow
strip of alluvial formation. In the direction of the Sound
itself, the dim outlines and blue hills of. Connecticut add the
beauty of a distant perspective to the scene. Could his
piercing glance have penetrated the gloom of the wooded
heights that lay to the east of Caumsdt, he would have beheld the shaggy groves and headlands of Huntington, mirrored in the spacious harbor of the same name; and, were
he ignorant of the narrow neck, uniting the laud on which
""Patent of Gov. Nicqlls. IIIsT. OF Lmw
IsL.\~D,
VoL. I.
TIIO\IP~o~.
�Fort Hill and Environs.
he stood with the main, he would have im:tgined himself o:t
an island.
Such was the small In,'ian hamlet of Caumsctt, our future
villa; one of those countless little Edens that gemmed our
shores, at a time when the trembling carpet of light and
,;;hade that nature had spread over the trackless forest was
printed by scarce a single human footstep; when the midnight arch with " golden worlds inlaid" that spanned our
continent from sea to sea, rested on a land, where all God's
creatures were in their glory, save man alone; and where
the voice of nature hymned its song of praise to the great
Creator unheard by mortal ears.
But it was not always to be so. Early ·in the I7th century, the Dutch took possession of the island of Manhattan,
which Hendrick Hudson had fallen upon in his search for
a north-west passage to China and India; and having erected New Amsterdam, they spread gradually throughout the
surrounding country, and crossed the East River to Long
Island. · Here they purchased land from Pt!llmvit::, the then
great Sachem, and built several forts. The English . too
had settled, about the same time, in New England, and
their relations with their Dutch neighbors were not always
of a \'ery friendly nature. They were much tempted to cross
over from Connecticut, a distance of no more than ten miles,
to the attractive shores of Long Island, which as we read
in the remonstrances of the Deputies of the New Netherland>, "they hankered after greatly."* These propensities
of their neighbors embittered the days of all the Dutch directors of New Amsterdam. \Vhile the kingdoms of Europe
W ~re passing from sovereign to sovereign, and empires being
"Hemonstr:mcc of New Netherlands to the High and 1\lightv Lords
States General of the United Netherlnmls, by the people of New Netherland, .Jnly 28, 164~. CoL. Doc. o~· N.Y. ST~n;., VoL. I. HoLLAND Doc.
IV.
�\
Fort Hi!! aud Enviro1ts.
bought in a d::ty, the Dutch fought with characteristic stubbornness for every foot of land usurped by the· English.
Proclamations succeeded each other in quick succession.
Time and again were the loyal Dutch burgomasters forced
r·
to behold the arms of their High ?vlightinesses, which had
been set up in numerous places, as a sign of possession, torn
down, "and a fool's £<ce carved in the place thereof, to the
gross disparagement of their High l\1ightinesses". * The
details we have been able to cull of these harrowing scenes,
during the reign of \Valter Van Twiller, the first director '
commissioned by the High and Mighty Lords States General of the United Netherlands, though fraught with deep
·interest, are not connected with our present subject, and
must, therefore, be banished without appeal. But no sooner had \Villiam Kieft, known in History as the Testy, assumed the reins of government than the English singled out
the very bay, adjoining Caumsett, to which we alluded under the title of "Oyster", as the scene of a great invasion.
Director Kieft, says the historian of N. Y., had determined to raise the sinking finances of the New Netherlands
by making the seawant or wampum, which served as a
kind of money among the Indians, and consisted of colored
beads manufactured from the Qualwug, a kind of shell-fish.t
the current: money of the~ nation. Now, Long Island, proceeds the historian, was the Ophir of this· modern Solomon
and abounded in shell-fish. The English hearing of this
intended stroke of policy, unparalleled even among mod~rn
fin:mciers, determined on the bold policy of establishing a
gigantic mint at Syosset or Oyster Bay, where, after disposing of the oyster so agreeably, they could lay out the
shell too, to such advantage.
But Kieft was roused; he had tried entreaty, and that
*Doc. OF Cor•. HisT. OF N. Y. STATE, II.
t New York Historical Society, llEc. OF 165!).
�Fort Hill and E1wirons.
had £1.iled ; he had tried proc!am:ttions, and they had failed ;
he had changed the language of his mandates, and published protests in latin.* and they had completely failed.
He had done all that the most exact moralist could require,
before resorting to open violence, and now felt himself justified in hurling on his enemies the direful thunderbolts of
war. He entrusted these weapons of destruction to the
valiant Stoff.::! Brinckerhoff, who lost no time in girding on
his armor, and with a handful of sturdy retainers, reached
the scene of action by forced marches, completely routed
the invaders, drove them from Oyster Bay and seized on
quantities of falsely coined oyster-shells.t
This severe lesson was not enough for the English; their
short occupation of the tempting prize only increased their
eagerness to call it their own, and under the following director, the famous Peter Stuyvesant, known in history as
"the headstrong," they again maintained that Oyster Bay
belonged of right to them, as the boundary of their possessions on Long Island. The war of the boundaries continued to agitate the two colonies for years, and it was only
in 1656 that their High J\Iightinesses settled ihe question
by drawing an imaginary line from the western portion of
Oyster Bay to the sea, and deciding that all lands, lying to
the \Vest should be Dutch, and those to the East, English.
How it was that ·the New Netherlands had been induced to
give up so many pretensions, is not very evident from history. All we know is that the English invited the headstron;{ Pet~r to a convention at Hartford in 1650; and that
they tciok care to receive him with all possible marks of respect. \Ve find, among the Holland documents, a mem-
* N. Y. CoL. 1\ISS. IloJ,J,A:SD Doc. IV.
t Vcrto:>gil van Nivc-Ncllcr-Vtu~l 'Vcghcus
14; CoL. Doc. I.
IliST.
de Ghcleghcntheydtxyz.
N.Y. KNICKJ,;HBOCKER, VoL. I.
�Fort Hill and Environs.
oir* in which the writer complains bitterly that all the arbitrators, on this occasion, were English or friends of the English, and that, in this affair, they pulled the wool over the
director's eyes. Certain it is, that Peter in thi~ instance departed from that manner of acting which has won him his
_title in history, by so far yielding as to present to their
High l\Iightinesses for ratification the treaty respec~ing the
boundaries, drawn up at this convention. l\Ieanwhile, however, pending the ratification of the treaty, the Governor of
New Haven in 1653 made bold to purchase from the Matinekocks, and others, about six square miles of the territory
adjoining S_yossct. This included in fact the whole of
Caumsctt, but the Indians denied their having had
any intention of thus including their lit~le peninsula, and
accordingly, in 1654. they bart~red it definitively to a party
of Englishmen from Sandwich, who took advantage of the
troubles which distracted the country to seize so attractive
a spot. \Vith all the usual formalities, the peninsula was
handed over by Ratiocan, Sagamore of Cow Harbor (now
called North Port) to Samuel l\byo, Daniel \Vhitehead,
afterwards representative for Queens Co., and Peter \Vright.
Real estate in tho'>e days was far from being at so high
a premium, as it is now; and the price paid for this neck of
over 2849 acres was 3 coats, 3 shirts, 3 cuttoes, 3 h 1tchets,
-3 hoes, 2 fathoms of wampum, 6 knives, 2 pairs of stockings
and 2 pairs of shoes. Here, however, the modern historian
is bewildered by one of tho_.;e difficulties which frequently beset his path, viz. : the discrepancy of contemporary writers;
for while the author of the History of Long Island affirms
the price to have been, as we have stated above, the historian of New Netherland maintains that the consideration
* :Memoir on the Boum'.nries of New N etlH•rlaml, hy Allrincn vnn ller
Donck, trnnslntcd from a notnrial copy in the Hoyal Archives at the
Hague, HoLLAND Doc. VI.
�Fort Hill and Emtirons.
93
paid for this tract, was 6 coats, 6 kettles, 6 f.."lthoms of wampum, 6 hoes, 6 hatchets, 3 pairs of stockings, 30 awl-blades,
20 kn:ves, 3 shirts, and as much pc. lg:te as will amount to
'
.£4 :;terling. This, too, he claims to have gathered from
the General Records of the Court of New Haven. vVhilst
the second edition of the History of Long Island mentions
quite a new catalogue of domestic implements, putting the
price, bc~s ides6 coats, at 6 bottles, 6 hatchets, 6 shovels, 10
knives, 6 fathoms of wampum, 30 muxes (eel-spears), and 30
needles. ·Amid such conflicting testimony. and at this late
date, it is hardly possible to arrive at any degree of certainty respecting the point at issue. All we can .s ay is that
some coats and some wampum, for in this all agree, form :!d
part of the price ; but the rest, all our distinctions of conjunctively. or disjunctively, or distributively have failed to
reconcile. But the bargain was not settled yet.
The Grand Sachem of Long Island, l.flyandach, by name,
envying, no doubt th e coats, bottles, ne::!dles, etc., received
. by a subordinate chief, d.:!nied the right of the Jlfatiuekorks
to dispose of this piece of land, and in 1658, the original
buyers, fearing perhaps the validity of their tenure, sold out
to one Samuel Andrews ; and this time, the Grand Sachem,
whom a few trinkets had probably soothed, confirmed the
sale on the 14th of 1\'lay of the same year. There is another item, however, which we mu st not pass over in speaking
of the sale of Caumsctt, that is the loss of its old Indian
name.
The ancient astron0mers, we know, leading a pastoral life,
as they discovered new wonders in the heavens and appropriated to themselves, so to speak, these starry meadows,
very naturally adopted the names of the familiar objects
around them to designate their new acquisitions; so that in
the words of Chateaubriand: ·• In the skies were discovered
ear.; of corn, im;:>lements of agriculture, virgins, lambs, nay,
even the shepherd's dog" : in a word they "wrote the an-
�94
Fort Hill and Em,irons.
nals of their flocks among the constellations of the zodiac."* So it was with the pastoral colonists and early pioneers of the New \Vorl d. Cmrmsctt was far too barbarous
an appellation for these simple, matter of fact Englishmen,
and as, on accouqt of the fine pastures in which the peninsula abounded, droves of horses were daily led from Huntington to prance and revel amid its luxuries, it came in a
short time to be known as Horse Neck, and took its place
as such, among the rural districts of Cow Neck, Cow Harbor, Hog Island, Bull Run, &c. 1
The new name in
this case, though it might have been more elegant, was certainly appropriate; for besides the circumstance alluded to
above, whence, strictly >-peaking, this favored spot derived
its name, it would not require a very strong effort of in~ag­
ination to discover in the very shape of the peninsula, a
resemblance to a horse's head and neck. Thus it was that
Caumsctt disappeared from the geographical charts of those
days, and as it had fallen into Christian hands, received also a Christian name.
But it was not destined to retain this happy appellation
. very long. The neck, after passing through several hands
from 16oo to 1678, came on Oct. 17, I6Jg, into the possession of l\lr. James Lloyd of Boston, who being entitled by
his wife to a part of this tract of land, purchased the rest
from the executors of one of the former owners, and thus
became its s?le proprietor. Real estate within the short
space of twenty-four years, had risen with gigantic strides,
and Mr. Lloyd was obliged to count out in hard cash some
£200 sterling.
Naturally enough, the name of the owner,
after a time, became connected with the estate. Horse
Neck was heard of less and less frequently, till it graduallt
died away entirely, and Lloyd's Neck arose in its stead.
*GENIUS OF CnmSTIANITY, PAUT
I. n. IV. c. 3.
,.
�, -Fort Hill and Environs.
9~
. Meanwhile, the rule of their High Mightinesses had
passed away before the grant of King Charles· II. to the
Duke of York, and the cannon of Governor Nicolls, who
· compelled the chivalrous Stuyvesant to surrender New
Amsterdam and its environs. In evacuating the country,
the defeated but not subdued Dutch, went not alone ; ·~he
very names they had given, many of therri at least, were
'forced to follow them into their exile. As Andromache
had bestowed, on a scanty rivulet of Epirus, where fortun~
had cast her, the name of Simois, the noble nver of her
own dear Troy, and had built
"Pnrvnm Trojam, ct simulata magnis
Pcrgun1a.--"*
so our good old Dutch ancestors had lavished on their pos~
sessions in the New \Vorld, though so far below the mighty
originals, the names of their own loved Fatherland, thereby
to deaden the pains of voluntary exile, and lull themselves
into the sweet deception that they were still among the
scenes of their childhood. But they were gone! gone, despite so long a tenure of the soil, and, as is so often the case
with office-holders, on the entrance of a new party into
power, their places were filled by young pretenders of foreign extraction. Thus New Amsterdam had yielded to
NewYork; New Netherlands became an echo of the past;
Long Island was called Yorkshire by Governor Nicolls,
"it being the true and undoubted inheritance of His Majesty," t and even our little peninsula received a new name,
when in I68s; it was, during the administration of Governor Dongan, an Irish Catholic, erected into an independent
manor, the only o~e in the county, and honored by the truly English title of Queen's Village.
t
* -<ENEID, RIlL
t
N. Y.
CoL.
.
1\ISS. III LoNDON Doc. I~
· i It is worthy of note that this EoanJC Governor Dongan was nccuscd of
being under the influmce of foreign Jesuits, and of acting, in accordance
with their crafty insinuations. LoN. Doc. VI. 'Ve are not surprised at
.•
�Fort Hill and Emnrons.
The independence it thus acquired, by a stroke of the
Governor's peri, was not of long duration. Lloyd's Neck,
• or Queen's Village, lay on the very borders of two rising
towns, Oyster Bay, and Huntington, and of two ambitious
counties, Queens, and Suffolk. a tempting prize for both.
In i 6g 1, the die was cast. Fore go it must its freedom,
~nd henceforth consider .itself as belonging to Oyster Bay.
Though the privation ~f its independence was a severe
blow, it .was compensated, we think, by the fact that it
now formed part of Queens Co., so famous for generosity
and patriotism. It was only some days ago, that in searching among dusty records and in hu6e folios for d;!tails of
the history of Lloyd's Neck, that we: cam~ across some of
the newspapers, published during the old French war, in
'which the praises of Queens Cix are recorded. The following is a specimen: "Jamaica, Sept. 5· 1755. This day,
iOI 5 sheep, collected in three days in this county were delivered at New York Ferry, to be sent to Albany by water,
which were cheerfully given for the use of the army, now
at or near Crown Point. \Vhile their husbands at Great
Neck were employed in getting sheep, the good mothers in
that neighborhood, in a few hours, collected nearly 70 good
large cheeses and sent them to New York to be forwarded
witli the sheep to the ar~y." That the sheep and accompanying cheeses were not the refuse of the farm or dairy,
but were s~lected with truly patriotic feei:ngs, is a~tested by
the acknowledgement dated Oct. 1o : " Your sheer( it
says, "were seasonable and highly benef.c:al to the army
•
'
t.his, for, since be had raised into an imh·prndent n;anor, an estate, u ~c-art
of which was, some two hundred years later, to Le o~;cupictl by the llc·
ecendants of these very Jesuit~, is it strange that he should !Je accu~cd of
collusion with the mcmuers of the Society? . There arc ·muny churgts
found in wme histories called 1 eha!Jlc, :md lu<ctl on much t>ligl.ttr gwta.ds
~han these.
�Fort Hill and Environs.
97·
in generaL Your cheeses were highly acceptable and· re..
viving, for, unless amongst some of the officers, it was food
scarcely known among us. This generous humanity of
Queens Co. is unanimously and gratefully applauded by all
here. \Ve pray that your benevolence may be returned to
you by the Great Shepherd of human kind, a hundred fold,
and may those amiable housewifes to whose skill.we owe
the refreshing cheeses, long continue to shine in their use~
ful and endearing stations,
Your most obd't & obliged Serv't.,"
\Vm. Johnson.
Queen's Village, then, might hencef0rth claim a share in
these praises; but Huntington, the rival o( Oyster Bay, had
not yet given up all thoughts of this flourishing little neck;
it hoped still to call it its own, and continued to encroach
on its territory until 1734, when the line of demarcation
was finally and definitively traced
Though the winds that rustled so sweetly among the no~
ble trees of Queen's village, were loaded with no evil fore~
bodings of war, and the clouds
"In thousand liveries dight,"
that attended the setting sun, seemed still to speak but of
peace and· repose, still the storm was fast approaching ;
those placid waters were to be ploughed up by armed vessels; those peaceful echoes which had heretofore learnt to
repeat nought but the sweet notes of the many~kinded warblers of these solitudes, or, at most, the dull surging of the
waves on the idle pebbles of'the beach below, were to be
for<:ed to shout back, from rock to rock, the loud booming
of cannon and the groans of the dying and wounded.
At the breaking out of the revolution, many ·loyalists
who found Connecticut and the neighboring colonies too
warm for them, had crossed t'te Sound, landed at Lloyd's
Nee\ and there built an earthen fort, about 10) feet square,
to protect themselves against surprise. Our spo~ had to
�Fort Hill aud Emrzi-.:ms.
p·ay 'dearly for this cl;ange of masters, and the noble"trees,
that grew so luxuriantly on its banks, ceased to cast their
shadows on the quiet waters, by being ruthlessly hewn down
and sent as fuel to the English army, around Ne\v York.
In 178o, the French fleet, under the command of Count
de Barras, arrived to infuse new vigor· into the American
troops, and anchored near Newport. ' Having received no
orders to- enter upon the more important field of action, the
Count deter!llincd to occupy his squadron, by dislodging
f:om Lloyd's Neck the nest of loyalists, \vho committed
many depredations on the surrounding country. According~e despatched, for this service, three frigates with 250
land troops, the whole, under command of Baron d'Angely.
The detachment sailed on the 10th of July, and was joined
in the Sound by several boats of American volunteers and
pilots from Fairfield. They entered Huntington Harbor and
effected a landing on the Neck, on the morning of the 12th.
We searched high and low, among the numerous histo-_
ries of those times, for a full account of this engagement,_
but it seemed to have been totally disregarded by cnntemporary historians ... \Vashington simply alludes to the f..1.ct,
in a)etter to Count de Barras, dated Head Quarters, Dobb's
Ferry, 21 July, IJ8I, in these words: "Although the detach.
ments from your fleet, under the command of the Baron
d'Angely did not succeed at Huntington, we are not the
less obliged to your Excellency for directing the attempt
to be made. If that post is maintained, I think an opportunity-of striking itto advant:lge may still be found, and J.
doubt not but you will readily embrace it. I have the honor to be etc."
· vVe were on the point of abandoning all hope of obtaining
a more detailed account of the affray, when we were fa-·
vored, by the kindness of the Superintendents of Astor·
pbrary, with a sort of scrap-book, presented by one Onderdonck; an aged inhabitant of Long Island, and in which·
ly,
�Fort Hill and En<Jirons.
99
were ca~efully arranged cuttings from the newspapers of
olden times. Here, to our great· pleasure and surprise, we
found the mo'>t circumstantial description of the battle of
Lloyd's Neck, acco:np::tnied by an accurate diagram.
We give the extr..tct almost in full, though it rep~ats something of what we have already said, hoping thus to rescue
from oblivion so important and interesting a document of
coloilial times.
"During the Revolutionary war, the British took possession of Lloyd's N:::ck, and erected a small fort there, for the
prot~ction of wood-cutkrs, who were mostly refugees from
New En~land. Th~ Neck, at that time, was covered with
the finest and largest growth of timber imaginable, some
tr~~> growin6 to th~ h~ight of 4'J or 50 feet, before putting
forth a single branch. Th~ refugees gained a livelihood for
themselves and their l>milies by cutting d'Jwn these noble
trees for firewood, and sending them to New Y ark, where
fuel was in great demand for the use of the King's Army,
cantoned there during the idle hours of winter.
"The Americans had made sundry predatorial attacks on
this peninsula by night, and e1rried off some property and
• prisoners, but on the arrival of the French fleet at Newport,
it w:1s concluded to fit out a more formidable expedition, in
hop:::s of exterminating this troublesome nest of refugees.
"The expedition failed as to its main ,object, from an ignorance of the real strength of the post, and of the localities,
hut it resulted in alarming the enemy so much that they
soon after abandoned the place.
"This aff.1ir, on account of its failure, is not described in
any history of the revolution, and is barely alluded to in a·
letter of\Vashington. Such must be my apology for giving
a sketch of it from memory, as it was detailed to me by an
eye-witnesc;, William Ludlam of Hog Island, who lately died
at a very advanced age.
"Mr. Ludlam was not a Whig, but owing to his quiet dis-
I
�IOO
Fort Hill and Ellv!rons.
position, continued-a loyalist during the Revolut:on. His.
goodness of heart, however, would not allow him to harm.
any human being, friend or foe. He was just grown up, at
the time of the American defeat at Brooklyn, Aug. 30, I 776,
and out of mere curiosity walked down to the battle-field,
saw its dead, lying as yet unburied, and the ground itself
co\"ered with the scorched paper of the cartridges.
"But I am digressing from my story. One fine summer
day, in I 845 I crossed in a boat from the pleasant village
of Oyster Bay to the residence of the venerable man. He
was somewhat dull and car;::less at the first few questions I
put to him, but when I spoke of olden times and of the
Revolution, the tears came into his mild and somewhat bedimmed eyes; his voice faltered; I had struck a tender
chord, had reminded him of the days of his youth-of
troublesome times. In a few moments he recovered himself, and as the recollection of times long past came to his
mind, his conversation took a cheerful and spirited ton<'.
He related anecdotes and adventures of all kinds. 'Come,'
said he, taking his cane and his broad-brimmed hat, ' let us
go to the Hill, and I will describe to you the attack by land
and water, which the French and Americans made on
Lloyd's Neck. I saw it with my own eyes as I was binding
wheat sheaves in my harvest field, just sixty-four years
ago.'
"vVhen we had reached the top of the hill, 'Here', said he,
pointing with his cane across the bay to the heights just opposite, • here was the fort, built to protect the wood-cutters,
and used also as a depot for hay and straw, which was collected from the adjacent country and shipped to New York.
The French fleet landed a party of 250 men, on the side of
th:! neck that fronts on Huntington Harbor ; these were to
attack the post in the rear, but they got bewildered coming
up, and when at last they reached the fort, they found it better defended thai! their spies had led them to expect. In
�Fort Hill and l!iwzrous.
101
fact the guns had been mounted, only the day before ! So
unexpectedly did the refugees disc'1arge their grape shot,
that the French, who had neglected to bring any artillery,
at once retreated, leaving behind them some surgeon's instruments, lint, bandages, port-fire etc., and the ground, besmeared with blood.
"At the same time with the attad;: on the rear of the fort,
and to draw off the attention of the British refugees, a
French sloop of war hove to in front, in Cold Spring Bay,
but could bring only one gun to bear on the point of attack
" • Meanwhile the main body of the French fleet, a t !r
landing the men near the entrance of Huntington Harbor,
had sailed further in, and attacked some English vessels that
had run' for shelter into thO! small cre:!k which forms the
peninsula. A portion of the crews on board the English
ships had already landed, and mounted a few guns in batt~ry on a slight risinJ g·roun:J no~ £1r fro:n th:! shore, by
which they hoped to keep off th.! French shipping. In
this they succeeded; for as soon as the French Admiral
was apprised of the failure of the attack, on the land side
of the for~. he, al once, abandoned the attempt, sailed to a
preconcerted spot, took on board his defeated marines, and
returned to Newport, saying very little about the expedition.
Paragraphs were of course put forth in Rivington's Royal
Gazette, as a terror to the rebels, and an encouragement to
the king's loyal subjects.'"
Thus, we see, that Lloyd's Neck was not after all so unimportant a place 01.s the Historian of the New Netherlands
seemed to insinuate, when he remarked that "Oyster Bay
Wa'i not worth fighting about." In fact one of the officers
stationed ther-:: shortly after this engagement was Prince
William Henry,* son of G-::org.:: II(, then in the Royal Navy, and afterwards King William IV.
*Pr nee \Villiam Henry was the first of those royal personages who, either through necessity, when treading the paths ot' exil~, as the royal fam-
�102
'
Fort Hill and Euvziwzs.
Thompson, in his history of Long Island, tells us of an,
other revolutionary episode, connected with Lloyd's Neck:
how, in the earlier years of the Revolutionary \Var, Sir
Henry Clinton directed a small party of refugees to start
from Lloyd's Neck, cross the Sound, and, if possible, make
a prisoner of l\lajor General Silliman, who had just been appointed by the Governor and Council of Connecticut, superIntendent of the coast of Fairfield. They set out accordingly, nine in number; one was left in the boat, eight went to
the house. About midnight, the inmates were awakened by
a yio:ent assault on the door. The General sprang from
his bed-attempted to fire upon the assailants, but his musket only flashed. No time was lost; in a few moments,
the daring boatmen were once more crossing the Sound,
the illustrious prisoner by their side. As may be supposed,
Colonel Simcoe, the commanding officer at the Neck, received them with· great joy. Such personal thefts wcr~ not
uncommon, during the war. And soon after this exploit
on the part of the British, the Americans crossed over from
the Connecticut shore, in one of those stout whaleboats
which formed the entire navy of which the Americans
lly of Portugal, or from cl:oicc. :•s Louis Napokon, tlc Prince of Wale~,
and lntely, the Grand Dt.kc Alexb. !:an· visited our Amrrican shores.
The n:ception the young prince mtt with nt our hands in 1'iE2 was
not indrcd so flattering, as that tcndPred to our lnl't roynl guest: the
truth is, that a very uncivil plan for capturing him wa~ formed hy Capt.
Ogden of the 1st New Jcrsty Regiment, and approved of by "'ashington.
Hnppily for him, the plan, though wry ncar being succ·cfsful, did not ef·
feet wLat wns intended: hut I Lt- Royal Midshipman," the Eailor King,"
as he was ropularly called, on a('(ornt of his curly predilection for the
naval profnsion, !mew full well, that the· failure of a first attempt would
not dam]l the ardor of the dal·ing Continentals, and hence, after u Etay,at
New Yoi·k, of only a few montl:s, he ~tarted for the ''"est Indies. In
1789 he was created Duke of Clarence, Enrl of Mun!'tc·r; nnd, at tbe death
of George IV. ascended the tl:rone, as the Fourth 'Villimn. He died in
iS37, :iml was succeeded by his niece, Victoria.
�Fort Hill and Environs.
103
could then boast, and purloined a certain Hon. Thomas
Jones, fi·om his home near by, in order to be able to exchange him for Silliman.
During all this time, the proprietorship of Lloyd's Neck
had passed from father to son in the Lloyd family. The
grandson of the original purchaser lost his share of the little peninsula, by confiscation, as he espoused the cause of
the King during the war. This part, ho .vever, was repurchased by his nephew, John Lloyd, <n J thus kept in the
family.
\Vhen the storm of war had passed over and peace again
smiled on the now independent colonists, John Lloyd returned to his home, on the Nee'{. But this pleasing spot·
had, as is generally the case, suffered much by becoming
famous. As time wore on, however, the stately trees once
more sprang up; the moss began to creep over the footworn rocks; the tender blades of grass, little by little, succeeded in blotting out the remaining vestiges of the soldiers' tramp around the Fort; the green ivy, mantle of
eternity, began to weave its glossy leaves over the shattered
or f:<llen trees ; and even the echoes learnt to forget the
jarring sounds of strife, and once more found pi ~asure in
telling of the bleating of sheep and the deep lowing of
cattle. One feature, however, was gone: the noble Indian
no longer figured among the grand objects around ; and
even his f1ail canoe was seldom seen on those waters, where
thousands of "winged sea-girt citadels" usurped the peaceful domain of the deep.
Thus Lloyd's Neck remained for years, till in 1S71 apart
of it, comprising some. 44 acres, and known as the "Fort
Hill property" again changed hands, we trust for the last
time, and became our present Villa.
The fort is exactly in front of our house, and, at this late
date, reminds one rather of a peaceful orchard, a quiet retreat for birds, than of a battle-field for contend:ng armies,
�Fort Hill a11d Etwiimts.
as numbers of fruit-trees have grown up, within the enclosure. \Ve have, hcwever, begun to restore it to its former
war-l.ike appearance, and all that is wanting now are a few
. cannon to mount on the parapets. It may not be long before we come across these relics of the revolution, as some
excavations we have made, have brought to light old cannon balls, and thus led us to believe that the canno11 themselves and other treasures too, may con.e next.
But be this as it ·may, one treasure, at ·least, we have
found in our country hou~e. and that is health and repose,
after the year's labors. " Hither," in the words of our late
lamented and humorous Father Monroe, "may the mathe~
matical and classical teachers, weary of extracting and dissecting square ro"ots, Greek roots and others still more old
fashioned, come and find relaxation, in digging parsnips,
turnips, and, if it comes to the worst, potatoes. Hither,
may the pastors and assistants, after conducting their flocks
into healthy pasturage, come and themselves browse on
greens and salads. H1ther, may the missionary, tired of
throwing his net for men, come, ana, like St. Peter, returning to his old trade, fish for perch and soles. Hither. in
fine, may the Superiors come, and leaving all care behind
them, find leisure and relaxation, to prepare for the labors
of the ensuing year."·
All these visitors, will not, alas ! find that variety of rural
pastintes, ih which the first occupants of our soil were able
to indulge. The whales, which used to be taken in numbers, off the Island, in days of yore, abandoned the coast as
early as 1717, or have 'dwindled down in these d:!generate ·
days, to tumbling porpoises, which enter our secluded bay.
l y thousands.* The beavers, whose furs formed ~o valua~
* TJ:c ckprturc of the \Yhnlcs is officially nnnounc('d, in a letter from
Governor Hunter to the Lords of Trade, dated, New York, July, 17,1718,
in which l:e con:plains, thnt the pcrqm~ites, arising limn his p1tcnt, .. UJ-
�For' Hill and Ellvir.ms.
10)
ble an artic~e of trad:!, beclme few:!r and few:::r, as years
ro'led on, and mo'it probably migrated, in larg.'! numbers,
with their t'l"llilie~ to the m,lr.'! cong.!nial climes of Can:tda.
Had our forefathers been more scrupulou,; in following
the prescriptions enjoined by the act, passed in I 726, by the
assembly at New York, "for th~ more effectual preservation
and increase of Deer on the Island of Nassau," we should
have such game too, to offer to the aim of the marksman;
and perhaps even bears, which paid an occasional visit to
Long Island, as late as I 7 59·*
At present, however, the largest wild animal is the spright~.
ly squirrel, or the ta?acious rabbit. But we are far from
complaining : nature has left us enough to satisfy the most
exacting; and could we but rec.1ll to their once secluded
haunts the former denizens of these forests, it would not be
that w~ might destroy them, but solely, that we might be:.
hold, in th.! wild grand.!ur of bygon~ days, th~ charms and
beauties of Fort Hill.
· P.
gnoscendi de Piscibus Rcgalibus, Sturgconibus, Dalen is, Cretis, etc., are so
inconsiderable, that .... I would not have \Hillen one single Jetter about
it, .... these fish having, iu a manner, left the coast." N &W YonK CoL.
l\lSS. VoL. V. LoNDON Doc. XXL
* The Jagt one, of which we fouml :my mention, in these parts, is thus
spoken ot; in theN. Y. Gazette of Nov. 26th 1759: "On Sunday week,
last past, a large he:tr passed the hou,c of l\lr. t:l--, on Long Island,
and took to the water, at Red Hook, attempting to swim across the hay;
but he was shot by one or the inhabitants." Scrap Boo:;:, Astor Library.
---~-~
�EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF FATHER F. X.
KUPPENS, S.
J.
GRAND RIVER, DAKOTA TERRITORY,
JuNE IS, 1871.
Last l\Ionday, I arrived at the house of two Frenchmen,
MM. Louis and Adrian Egat, brothers, who have been some
thirty years in this country, are married to Indian women,
_and speak the Indian tongue with great facility. I was received with all possible marks of respect. On the next day
Mr. Louis volunteered to accompany me to the camp of a
Great Yancton chief called "Two Bears," where I miglit
stop a few days, to become more familiar with the language
,and explore the field of fu~ure labors. \Vhen we approached
the camp, we were met by " Two Bears" himself, and two
minor chief'> of his tribe. Permission to stay a while with
his people to learn the language was politely but cold_ly
granted me, and I was introduced into the lodge of my host.
_This mansion I saw gaudily decorated with paintings of
bears, eagles, buft:'lloes, tomahawks, pipes, houses, men, etc.
After smoking a pipe which ·passed from mouth to mouth
according to the rules of Indian etiquette, :he chief deigned
to explain to us that all his people had gone forth from the
camp to prepare for a solemn dance in honor of the Sun;
that there was not a single squaw left to unsaddle my horse:
so he proposed that we should all remount and ride together
to the scene of the celebration. As the Indian nations are
fast disappearing- from the land, and in a few years, or at
most, a few generations, this peculiar people with its strange
�Indian llfissions.
IOJ
manners and observanses will be found only in the history
of the past, I think I am rendering a service to students of
history by observing and recording whatever strange customs fall within the spho:re of my observation.
The scene I was about to witness was one of the strangest] have ever beheld. True it does not contribute much
to edification, unless perhaps it should rouse within us fresh
sentiments of gratitude to our good Lord, who, by his
painful life and death has freed us from the disgusting superstitions, of which these poor savages are still the slaves
After rid:ng about three miles, single file in the woods, all
abreast on the. prairie, we arrived at the place of the meeting. There we beheld a most motley crowd 0f gaudily
dressed men and women old and young, the decrepit and
the sturdy wurior; mothers with babes at their breasts, and
on their backs; all adorned with beads, ribbons, strings and
feathers. Many were engaged in twisting leaves and branches in their hair, crowning with verdant wreaths, their brows,
necks, arms, brf'asts, waists and legs ; others were ornamenting their horses' manes, necks and tails with the tr ost
extravagant profusi.on of green. Medicine men and warriors were meam\·hile haranguing in loud tones, but no
more than a dozen hearers paid any attention to them.
At length an outburst of universal applause announced
, the great news that the tree around which the dance was
to be performed, had been discovered by certain superstitious signs. It was a crooked tree some thirty feet high,
with trunk some six inches in diameter. But soon there
appeared a general feeling of embarrassment. ] twas found
d:fficult to comply with the ceremonies required. For such
is the respect which even the savage has preserved for the
virtue of virginity, that, for some sacred rites, none but
those who have preserved it intact are admitted. Such
were to stand by the tree while it was cut down by the
warriors. But such is the degradation of these people, who·
�IdS
. Indian llfissimzs.
·have never been strengthened by the Sacraments that no
y( ung men presented themselves who could claim the honor and the profits attached to it. This condition had to be
dispensed with in the case of the young mm; the two maidens, however, who were required for the same purpose hat!
been better prot~cted by the modesty, characteristic of their
sex even among barbarians.
A speech from a medicine man summoned four braves,
one from each of the four winds, to stand with the youths
at the >'ide of the tree, each on that side c.n which he had
slam mo~t enemies. Then followed a series of minute details of ceremonies, so scrupulously perfo"rmed, as to make
one ask himself, " Do I practise such exactness in all the
sacred rites of our holy religion?" v. g. the medicine ·man
takes the hatchet, raises it to the sun and prays aloud. He
gives it to the first maiden, she hands it to the first young
man, he to tl~e first warrior, wh(J raises it to the Sun, proclaims his own bravery and invokes new bles.;ings. He
raises the hatchet to strike the tree-strikes,-awful crying
accompanies the action on the part of the women; but the
hatchet is stopped within half an inch of the bark; a second
and a third simiiar ~troke are feigned; similar, only more
doleful and deafening wailing accompanies each. These
ceremonies ar:.! repeated at each of the four sides of the tree.
Finally the maidens cut it down, the braves carry it to a.
chosen spot-no others can touch .it under pain of deathit is planted in the centre of the camp, a shade is formed
around it with green branches. The dance is performed by
such warriors as have vowed on previous occasions to go
through this extremely painful ordeal. It is offered up in
hon~r of the Sun, but not as if the Sun were the supreme
deity ; even in the dance the great spirit is invoked before
the Sun. From the latter they believe they receive life,
health, etc., but how far it is distinct from the Spirit, and
how far inferior, I have not been able to learn even from the
interpreter.
f
�Indian 11/issions.
IOJ.
The dancers now emerge from a blue tent, ten abn:ast,
all attired alike-a curiosity in Indian life. They are dressed
in buckskin from their waists down, with the gayest eagle
feathers about their heads, beads and tin trinkets about
their necks, smeared all over with a kind of blue paint,
their cheeks painted red, with a circle of white spots around
their eyes. I will not stop to tell you of the various movements and halts made before the tree is reached. At length
the dance begins. Some thirty men armed with drum-.
sticks gather round the drum, and all beat together. Sometimes I thought the drum would split, but it held out to the
end. The drumming is accom;>anied with wild singing;.
Each song l.lsts about five minutes, during which the
dancers keep jumping as if they felt themselves bound to
shake every bone in their body: ankles, wrists, waists and
necks undergo all sorts of contortions, while the feet keep
time to the tones of a bone flute, which each of them holds
grasped between his teeth. After each song there is an
interval of about three minutes, during whi<;h they can sit
down and have two or three puffs at the pipe ; then up and
dancing again. At the time of our visit, this lasted the remainder of the day and through the whole of the following
night.
What a pitiful spectacle met my eyes in the morning !
There were those poor victims of superstition dancing yet
like maniacs, though their legs scarcely supported them
through tatigue and exhaustion. From the moment the
tree had been found, they had tasted neither food nor drink.
Still onward, dance they must for many hours more.
Whenever one comes near a prop, he cannot help for a moment hanging his head against it. Still there is no thought
of giving up. Now that the sun is risen, they are obliged
to come frequently from unde.r the shade, and stand with
faces turned to the sun. Heat increases the fatigue, their
breasts heave painfully, and their lips are parched. At half
�I 10
Indi{m llfissio1ts.
past eleven, one at length falters; he can stand it no longer
but must have a drink. This is brought him, but he is to
pay a packhorse for it. Another, a while later, pays three
horses for a drink, a morsel of food, and leave to retire.
At length, when noon has come, the most painful operation begins. \Vhile the dancers are so exhausted that they
seem momentarily on the point of falling down, the chid
medicine-man steps forth and with a knife cuts two gashes
on the back ·of each one's shoulder blade, then thrusts his
finger into the gashes and passes a ~tring through the flesh,
to which he fastens a dried buffalo head, which dangles
from the shoulders of the nine remaining dancers. Now
they are to dance again till the "·eight of the heads has
caused the strings to cut through the ·bleeding flesh from
which they are suspended. \Vhat relief I felt, when at last _
the heads one after another had fallen to the ground!
But all was not over yet. They.are now cut on the upper arm and with a rope ten feet lcng fastmcd similarly
to the tree. At about 2 o'clock P. M. they had danced
themselves loose and the ceremony was concluded. Alas
r
that all this suffering is not undergone to gain an eternal
crown ! If converted, these men would not shrink back at
t
hearing these words, "Regnum ccelorum vim patitur et violenti rapiunt illud."
l
l.
�LETTER FROM FR. PONZIGLIONE TO VERY
.REV. FR. O'NEIL.
OsAGE 1\'IIssroN, NEosHo Co., KANSAS,
DECE~IBER 31, 1871.
VERY REV. FATHER PROVINCIAL,
P. C.
According to custom I must send you an abridgment of
my missionary excursions during the last six months; not
that I have anything very interesting to record, but merely
because, as the old poet has said, " forsan et h;ec olim meminisse juvabit."
The 4th of July is wont to be a day of g~neral jollity, especially in these far\Vestern districts, and very frequently it
is accompanied by the excesses of intemperance. To prevent these evils we make use of whatever expedients we can
devise. Thus; for instance, this year we looked upon the
day as a holy one, and announc.cd that we would have mass
at one of our missionary stations, 8 miles East of this mission, at the head of a small stream called Hickory, where a
little chapel was built one year ago. This chapel, which
goes by the name of St. Aloysius, was put up for the convenience of a few French families, who settled around that
stream a little over one year ago. The building of this
small chapel, in a very short time, drew together a strong
Catholic settlement. The chapel was raised on a high
ground in the centre of a very extensive prairie, and could
be seen for two or three months flowering, as it were, by
itself alone, showing to all the cross that stands on its front
gable. But very soon a house was built here, and another
there, and in a short time, in less than a year, the whole
district was taken up by Catholic families, each· claim hav-
�112
Indian 1l1issio1ls.
ing an actual occupant: so that the L uilding, which for. a
few months was very ample for the congregation, is now
too small and hardly sufficient for a school-house. Here
we kept the 4th as a holiday. I had a large number of
C:)nfessions and holy communions.
Several good old
Frenchmen sang at the High Mass in pure Gregorian style,
so nicely, that for a moment I imagined myself back m
some parish church of my native Alps.
Some Americans who were roving around, noticing so
many people surrounding our Church thought, that no
doubt, there must be good dancing going on, and came in
with the intention of joining in the feast. You may imagine what was their surprise, when they saw all the people
kneeling down and praying most· fervently. Just at noon
the Mass was over, and half of the day was passed without
mischief; the balance of it went on quietly and soberly.
Our Rt. Rev. Bishop, John B. 1\Iiege, having at last two
new priests at his disposal, sent them to us, that we might
station them in some of our missions. So one of them was
placed by Father Philip Colleton at Baxter Springs, and
charged with the care of Labette, Cherokee and Crawford
counties, besides a small part of the adjacent Indian Territory. The other was placed by me at Cottonwood Falls,
from ~vhich place he will attend all the stations established
on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail road, from Emporia in Lyon County to Wichita· in Sedgewick County.
This arrangement was made during this summer, and gives
us more time to attend to the great many people still entrusted to our care in the western part of this large state of
Kansas.
On the· I 8th of September, I left for one of my missionary
excursions north-west of this place. And first I directed
my course to the Verdigris River, visiting all the Catholic
settlements I have formed from Greenwood City up to the
very sources of this river. Acc9rding to my custom, having
�l11dian Missions.
113
sto?;:>ed at one of the stations to have Ma<>s the next morning, I went around inviting all the neighbors to come and
assist at it. Among those I visited there was one, who had
b~cn, for over a year, on v.::ry bad terms with the owner of
the" house in which I was going to celebrate the divine Sacrifice. I felt quite sure that this man, in all probability,
would not comply with my invitation; yet I spoke to him
in general, as if I knew nothing about hi~ circumstances,
and insisted on the necessity of complying with our Christian duties, and pa,;sing over the defects of others. Imagine
what a joyful surprise it was for me, to see this very man
come with his wife on the next morning, to see him approach
Confession and Communion-a thing which he had neglected to do for a good while-to see him stand as God-father
for the child of the very one to whom, the day before he
would not have spoken!
From the sources of the Verdigris, I passed to those of
Eagle Creek, to visit a Catholic settlement not far from Elmondlro in Lyon County. This settlement is composed of
Germans. They gave me a cordial reception, and on the
next morning all came to their duties. As they are only
15 miles from Emporia, where hereafter there will be a Mass
celebrated once in the month, I told them that this was my
last visit, and that in future they must depend on the other
priest for spiritual attendance.
I now turned my way towards Eureka, the county seat of .
Greenwood County. I had to travel some 40 long miles,
and night overtook me on a very large and high prairie, dividing the waters of the Verdigris and Fall Rivers, and as
the nearest house was 6 miles distant, I had to put out on
the green grass, which was plentiful and offered exce!1ent
food for my horse. The moon was most brilliant, and the
stars seemed to be invested with new brightness: no tree,
no bush, no rock was in sight, or could be found in the
neighborhood of at least 4 miles. Fortunately I had an
�I I4
lndiall Jlfissiolls.
iron pin and a long lariat with me; this enabled me to secure my horse for the night. All was silence around me,
and I sat down to eat my supper, which consisted of some
dry bread and fruits. I found both very good, and by _no
means heavy on my stomach; my mind felt very light and
free. Had I been a poet, that would have been a good moment for inspiration. As I was rather fatigued, I lay down
wrapped in my blanket, and passed as comfortable a night,
as if I had been lying on a feather bed.
At the dawn of day I was up, aud seeing that all was
right about my horse, I thanked God for it, and having taken my breakfast, which was as frugal as the preceding
supper, I was again on the way about sunrise, travelling
along through those interminable prairies. Towards noon,
I reached Eureka. This is a beautiful little town at the
confluence of Spring Creek and Fall River, numbering perhaps I 500 inhabitants: of these only some twenty are Catholics. As it was Saturday, I lost no time, but went around
visiting the people and inviting them to Mass for the next
morning fthe 24th of this month and the xvu. Sunday after
Pentecost). I had the pleasure of offering the first Mass
that was ever celebrated in Eureka, and commenced a missionary station in this town also.
Hearing that some 7 miles west, there was a girl who
was very sick, I went that very day to her house; and next
morning, after reading Mass in her room, I administered to
her the last sacraments. The poor girl was so badly off
that she could hardly move or speak. Her sickness, however, had not been her greatest trouble. \Vhat had caused
her most uneasiness was the thought that she was likely to
die without receiving the last sacraments ; and she had daily prayed to God not to let her leave this world without
the consolations of Religion. God granted her what she
had desired. She could not get a messenger to call on me,
but God himself sent me to her. Her faith was so great,
�Indimz llfissions.
115
th:tt with the grac! of the sacrament>, she also received the
hetlth of the body. She recovered and in a few day~ was
able to start for the state of \Visconsin, where she is at
present.
From her house I took the way that leads to Eldorado in
Butler County and stopped on Bird Creek, 3 miles east of
·that town to say Mass for the few Catholics of that locality.
This settlement is v :ry small and poor, but the faith of the
people forming it is great. All answered to my call, and
went to their duties, including an old woman. who, for a
long time had bee.n ashamed of professing herself a Ca~ho:ic.
She, at last, came and brought with her a child to be baptized. She acknowledged to me that she never neglected
to say some few prayers to our Blessed Lady, and it was to
her she attributed the grace received of overcoming herself
on this occasion. Nothing is more consoling for the poor
missionary, in these wild countries, than to meet with some
of these stray sheep coming back to the fold of the Lord.
From Bird Creek I passed without further delay to Eldorado. Here I found some tiew Catholics, but very few, so
I did not stop long, but proceeded to the junction of Walnut and Turkey Creeks~ On the 27th I said Mass at the
usual station, and from thence descended to the confluence
of the Walnut and the \Vhitewaters, where a small but interesting town, called Augusta, is springing up. No regular station has yet been established here; but I hope that I
shall have one next spring; for several Catholic families
came of late to settle around this town. Previous appointments did not allow me to see them at this time. Leaving
Augusta, I took an old Indian trail going directly east, and
after nearly two days of a fatiguing and lonesome journey,
through a hilly and rocky prairie, I returned at last to Fall
River the last day of this month, and on the next, which was
Sunday, I had the pleasure of celebrating the feast of the
Rosary in St. Francis Regis' chapel, between New Albany
and Coyville.
�II6
htdimz 1lfzssions.
Some business requiring me to go as far as Burlington,
in Coffey County, I directed my rolll!:e thither; then pressing along the Neosho in a homeward course, I stopped to
pass the second Sunday of October at the sources of a small
stream called Pecan, where we have a Scotch settlementall very fervent Catholics. They felt exceedingly rejoiced
at having an opportunity of hearing Mass. That very day
I returned to this mission.
On the 6th of November, I again got on the western trail
and came to New Chicago, a town in the northwest corner
of this county. As I had been repeatedly invited by some
Catholics of this place to come and pay the·m a visit, I could·
not but be well received by all. My visit came quite unexpectedly and at a rather. unfavorable time; for it was the
evening before the annual state elections, an occasion of
general excitement. Yet the next morning, I had a good
attendance at Mass. It was the first Mass ever offered in this
town, in which we now established a new missionary station.
Though a very heavy rain continued £<!ling almost the
lvhole of that day, I travelled so::ne 20 miles through an irr.mense prairie, which divides the waters of the Neosho from
those of the Verdigris ; .and the next day I reached F ridonia, where, having visited the Catholics scattered here and
there, I read Mass for them, and left for New Boston in
Howard County. Here, however, I cannot help noticing a
most remarkable fact which took place in the Catholic settlement around Fridonia, because it shows how great is the
efficacy of prayer and especially of the most holy Sacrifice.
The Catholic settlers of these extensive prairies being
few. are not seldom abused by their Protestant neighbors.
Now it happened that one of our Catholics, having taken a
claim whereon to live in peace with his family, his Protestant
neighbors determined to rob him of it, and of course to save
appearances, they tried to carry their point by intrigue and
treachery. For this reason two of the conspirators went to
�lmltmz
]~,fissions
117
the land office in Humbolt, to enter the claim of the Satholic- who by the way is a very pious Alsatian.
F ortunately he discovered their trick, and started also the same
day for the same pla•:e, to see whether he could succeed in
saving his claim. Both came to camp in the woods near
H umbo It that same night, without knowing that one was
not very far distant from the other. l\'lorning having come
the good Alsatian, hearing the bell of St. Joseph's Church
calling for Mass, thought that he never would have good
luck that day, unless he first went to Church. So he came
to St. Joseph's, and Mass being over went to the land office
to see about his claim. Just imagitie his surprise, when
asking whether anybody had been there that day from Fridonia, he learned that the two men in question had been in
early that morning, and h~id entered and paid for a piece of
land. The poor Catholic hearing this, resigned himself to
his fate, and concluded that it was useless to talk any longer about the matter. Yet the thought struck him that, perhaps, sorre arror might have happened in the reco~ding;
and so he kindly requested the Receiver to let him see the
description of the land entered. Upon inquiry it was found
that the two conspirators, who wanted to enter the claim of.
the Alsatian, had made· a great mistake and had entered
and paid for the land of another man, who was their partner in iniquity! In consequence of this, the claim of our
friend was saved. He gave thanks to God in his heart, and
without losing time, he entered his own claim, paid for it,
and secured it for good! It is u ;eless for me to tell you
how happy the man felt on returning to his family.
0
how glad he was for having followed that inspiration of
grace which called him to Church that day!
On the 11th of November, J reached the small town of
New Boston, situated in the centre of Howard County.
This town which commands a most beautiful position wa!'
started last May by a Catholic colony of young men from
this mission, and since then has been gradually improving;
a small Catholic Church will soon tower over it.
�11.8
Indian .Jfissions.
As it was SatudJ.y, I sent word all around to the Catholic l)ettlers to come to l\lass the n.o:xt morning, the 12th
instant. Though the •lay was a very bad one, on account
of the rain that came streaming down from heaven, still we
had a tolerably good attt::ndance.
About noon on the 13th the rain having stoppt>d, I took
up my course on the east bank of the Canis. 1 he wind
was very chilling and I suffered a good deal on that account. At last, after two days travelling, 1 reached the
Osage Reservation in the Indian Territory, south of Kansas. The country now occupied by the Osages on Canis,
(or little Verdigris) is a very nice one. For this reason the
. white settlers begin t0 crowd around it, and a great many
claims have alre:1dy been taken on this land, in spite of :he
protests made by the Indian Agents. The squatters on
Indian lands have long since got used to such protests;
and they know well that they amount to nothing.
As the Osages were now all after Buffaloes on the far
west, I gave all my attention to the half breed~. I remained
with 'them some 7 days. Though ·the weather was very
bad by reason of the continual rain, and the creeks all very
high, I nevertheless went <~round the best way I c.:ould
through the settlements formed between the junction of the
two Canies and the Agency, a distance of about 20 miles. I
said Mass in different places to give all an opportunity of
approaching the Sacraments. Some, I am happy to.· say,
did comply with their Christian duties, but the majority
did not. This made me feel quite bad, for these people almost all have been educated at our mission, and used to be
good and practical Christians as Icng as they lived i~ our
neighborhood. . But since they fell under the care of Protestants, they seem to have forgotten all our go,od advices.
Still, as they continue to acknowledge themselves Catholics,
and refuse by all means to join the Protestants who govern
them, I hope that the good seed which we have sown in
their hearts will yet begin to grow and some day produce
its fru:t.
�lmlzan llfissions.
Since my last visit to this settlement during last summer,
several have died, all wishing very much to hav.! a Priest
to assist them; but in vain! both on account of the great
distance from one settlement to another, and on account of
our many engagements in this boundless country, so much
settled by Catholics. In the death of one of them God has
given a lesson w , ich I hope will produce some good. N.
N. had, nearly two months since, been married to a young
girl, an Osage half-breed, who had been educated at the Sisters' Convent near this mission. They were married in this
town, but not in the church; I do not know for what reason
they acted in this way. Now, when last May I went to visit
them on the Canis, I told the young man, that he had do.te
wrong, and I wished to settle the matter -between him and
his wife; for I knew his conscience could not be satisfied.
So I advised him to come and ·have his marriage blessed
and put an end to the scandal he was giving to his neighbors. He replied that I certainly was right, but he was not
theu prepared to follow my advice, but that he would be so
when I would return to visit them in the fall. I merely answered that the future was not in our hands ; and seeing
that I was losing my time with him, I left the place. The
poor young man died almost suddenly on the 20th September, without giving any sign of repentance.· Had he followed IllY advice !
The grace denied to this one was, it seems, reserved for
another, who according to all appearances, was doomed to
die without any assistance of the Church, and who nevertheless, had all that one can wish for in this respect. Peter
Chouteau, one of our best Osage half-breeds, had, since
the beginning of November, been very sick at-his residence
on the Verdigris, near Morgan City, Montgomery Co., and
feeling that he was getting worse, he sent a messenger to
this mission, requesting our Superior, Father John Shoenmaker to come to assist him. But the good Father was
�120
f11dimt .1/issious.
not only left alone here at the time, burthened with the
care of a large congregation, but was moreover in very bad
health, :and quite unable to travel so far. So the messenger returned to the Verdigris, telling the sick man that
there was no chance of getting a priest. Peter felt very
sorry on hearing this; "yet" said he, "give me my prayer-'
beads, I will hold them till I die!" and after awhile he added,
"still I hope that the Mother of God will not let me die,
without having the consolation of receiving the last Sacraments!" This happened on the 19th of November; and
just two days after, late at night, I came to his house. Nobody had called on .me; all I knew was that he was very
sick and had sent for a Priest; and could only conclude
that either Father]. Schoenmakers, or Father Philip Colleton had come to see him. So I did not hurry on the way,
neither could I have been able to do so, had I wished; for
the creeks around me were all unfordable on account of the
great.rains we had had of late. It was only on the 21st
that I could leave the settlement on the Canis. Peter's •
mind had now become very weak; he was raving frequently,
always asking whether the Priest was coming. I came at
iast, and when I approached his bed he was in full possession of his mind and recognized me. Think for a moment·
how happy he felt! He pressed my hand and said, smiling,
''I knnv I would have the consolation! 0 the Mother 11f
God .has always been good to me!" I told him to have
courage, and that next morning I would say Mass for him
and administer to him the last Sacraments. To this hereplied; "0 Father, this is all I want." Next morning very
early, I hastened to say Mass, at the end of which I gave
him the holy Vi<>.ticum, and all being over, I anointed him.
It was really edifying to see with what devotion he prayed,
and answered to the prayers we recited around his bed.
The satisfaction he felt at having receiV<d tl:e J~~t ~aCJa­
ments.. seemed to help him considerably, and he looked
,_.~
.
�Indian Missions.
121
better. As I had no time to delay, I started as soon as I
could for this mission; but the cold was so severe, that after.having travelled some 34 miles I had to stop, and so
did not reach home till the next day about noon. On the
24th (only two days afteq P<!ter Chouteau died the death of
the just. H;: h:~.d alw.1y.> been a go6d practical Christian,
and God did not fors,1ke him in his last hour. May he rest.
in peace!
This was my last missionary excursion of this year, and
it was a very hard one, on account of the bad \'{eather,
which accompanied me through the whole· of it. During
this last month we were delighted with the fervor and devotion shown by the good Catholics who surround this mission, both on the feast of the Immacu.late Conct:ption, a~d
on that of Christmas.
·
Our school is prospering more than ever' 'it did before.
The boarders number so and the day-scholars over 180.
The Sisters of Loretto have also a large number of girls:
attending their schools. We have indeed a flattering prospect before us. \Ve are only 3 priests· and are attending
over 5000 Catholics, scattered in this far West, over a terri~
tory of more than 200 by 100 miles in extent. Inrleed we
have reason to say, "messis· quidem muita, operarii autem
pauci."
·
Your humble servant in Christ,
PAUL MARY PONZIGLIONE,
s: J.
�FATHER J. U. HA:\Il'AUX.
Joseph Urban Hanipaux was born in the p·arish of St.
George de Dougueux, in the diocese ofLangres, on the 3rd
of May, 18o5, the feast uf the Invention of the Holy Cross.
and was baptized the same day. His truly christian parents
brought him up in the love of piety_ and the practice of virtue. At an early ag~ and whilst engaged in his studies, he
felt himself called to the ecclesiastical state. Obeying the
divine 'call, he entered the seminary, and at the close of his
theological studies, was raised to the priesthood on the 22nd
of April, 1829. During seven years Fr. Hanipa~x zealously applied himself to the discharge of the varioi.1s duties entrusted to him by his bi~h~p; and · irt their fulfilment deserved and obtained the esteem and confidence .of those who
were brought in contact \vith him.
But his aspirations had been to a more apostolic life-to
a closer imitation of the divine Model. Again obeying the
call of grace, he asked and obtained admission into the SoCiety of Jesus, entering the novitiate on the 2oth of Feb-ruary, 1837. In this school of virtue he had for l\Iaster the
Rev. A. Rubillon, and under the guidance of so enlightened
a director he inured himself by the practice of obedience
and humility, to walk manfully in his vocation .. At the
same time that he edified his fellow novices by his virtues,
his zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls
was developed and perfected. Immediately after taking his
first vows, Fr. Hanipaux was sent to Nantes, where he was
applied to the work of giving missions. Here as elsewhere,
his labors were productive of the most consoling results.
Though not possessed of brilliant oratorical powers, Fr.
�Fr. Hampaux.
123
Hanipaux, by his earnest piety and burning zeal fo\lnd his·
way to the hearts and overcame the obstinacy of the most
hardened sinners.
But he longed to be sent on the foreign missions, and in
1842 made an application to Rev. Fr. General·for that purpose. He was ultimately successful in his request, though
thwarted in his first plans. For he was on the point of
starting, in the company of Fathers Luiset, Martin, Duranquet and Grimot, for Yiad1gascar, wh~n an unforeseen acc.:ident or rather the hand of Providence interposed and led
this little band of Missionaries to another and not less fertile field. Fr. Hanipaux and his companions were sent to
found a new mission of the Society in Canada. In pursuance of this plan, the first residence was established in
Montreal. Fr. Hanipaux now gave himself up to the impulses of his zeal; and when, after two years, he was sent
on the Indian mission, his departure was deeply regretted
in those parishes which had been the scene of his labors.
About this time Dr. Power, the first Bishop of Toronto,
desiring to revive the missions established by Fathers Lallemant and de Brebceuf, but long since abandoned, applied for members of the Society of Jesus to carry out this
plan. Fr. Hanipaux was one of those selected for the purpose. Passing through Sandwich in Upper Canada where
a residence had just been opened, he proceeded to Great
Manitouline Island. In company with Fr. Chone, he established his headquarters at the Mission of Holy Cross,
known also by the Indian name of \Vilwemikong, a village
of the Ottawas, already partly evangelized by the zealous
missionary l\h. J. B. Proulx.
. Without knowing a word of the language, which resembles no other, but placing his whole confidence in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and in prayer, Fr. Hanipaux, who in
two years had been unable to pick up a few words of English, could in a short time instruct, and hear the confessions
of the Indians in their own language.
�124
Fr. Hauipau:r.
Fr. Hanipaux had now attained the object of his eager
longings. His zeal knew no obstacle. · In fact, at times, it
s::emed to border on rashness. But knowing that he was
in the hands of the Almighty, he faced every danger, in pursuance of the one ohject he had in view, the Glory of God
and the salvation of souls. Nothing could deter him when
there was ques~ion of gaining souls to God. Neither the
inclemency of the season, nor the difficulties of the way,
could impede him in the pursuit of this object so dear to
his heart. vVhether to penetrate the trackless wilderness,
or to navigate lakes and rivers made dangerous by hidden
rocks or headlong rapids, or to traverse the same when
covered by no less treacherous ice-or to climb rugged
mountains, or to pa'>s swollen torrents-his zeal was unabated; he recoiled before no difficulty, but placing his trust
on high, sped on his way rejoicing.· At times forced to
sleep on the snow, being at other times on the point of
famishing from want of food, he felt amply repaid, when after a journey of extreme hardships, he was able to announce
the glad tidings of the truth to some poor neglected Indians.
Then heedless of repose, he applied himself to alleviate the
wants of these poor creatures-his time was spent in consoling, baptizing, preparing them for death. Having attended to the spiritual wants of the inhabitants of one village,
he hastened off to ano~h~r to recommence the same labors,.
or returned to his mission of Holy Cross to take charge of
his little congregation and his schools. His return was..frequently hastened by the necessity of opposing by his presence and influence the efforts made to destroy the good
that God had wrought among these poor Indians. For he
had to maintain a continual struggle with those who strove
to pervert his neophytes. and to draw them away from the
path of duty. His presence and advice strengthened the
wavering and consoled the more steadfast. He inspired
children with the love of piety; youth with modesty, and
the more aged with fidelity to their duties. It was from
�Fr. Hanipaux.
125
the Sacred Heart of Jesus that he drew his strength- it
was do:votion to this Sacred Heart that enabled him to accomplish so much for the good of souls.
He was beloved both by his Superiors and inferiors.
The Socialists of Holy Cross wrote to him after his departure from among them, testifying their gratitude and filial
love. One of his fellow-laborers writing about him, says
that Fr. Hanip:wx was alone worth two missionaries; another relates the grief and lamentations of his poor Indians
and their longings to see him once more among them.
But this affection can astonish no one-as he loved them
all with the tenderness of a father.
But Fr. Hanipaux was forced to leave his spiritual children, never more to se..! them on earth. Twenty-seven
years of endurance and toil had told on his vigorous frame,·
and undermined his health. To enable him to enjoy some
needful rest, his Superiors called him to the residence of
Quebec. He arrived at Montreal last autumn and at Quebec on the 30th of December. The best physicians of
these two cities were forced to acknowledge that his sickness admitted of no cure-and their charitable efforts were
henceforth employed to lengthen out his life.
For the six months preceding his death there was no decided improvement in his health-nothing but a succession
of days of more or less suffering. He gradually lost the
last remnants of his once vigorous constitution, until he
seemed to be sustained only by his energetic will. He desired to labor up to the last, and for this purpose he at times
concealed his sufferings, till it became impossible to do so
any longer. Despite his habitual weakness and suffering,
he asket!, on his arrival at Quebec, to have a confessional
assigned him, and there he remained as long as the good
of souls required, and his failing strength allowed him.
He rose, as a general thing, with the community, made his
meditation and said Mass. During the last week of his life
he was so feeble that it seemed almost impossible for him
�126
Fr. Hanipaux.
to finish Mass. But his indomitable energy and strength
from above bore him through. His devotion prompted him
to choose to say Mass in preference at the altars of the
Sacred Heart and of St. Joseph. He might be seen several
times every day kneeling in presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Being no longer able to work for the good of souls
in any other way, he poured out continued and fervent prayers for their conversion. His great zeal became manifest
·whenever he heard of the good accomplished by others.
\Vhen told of what was being done for the glory of the
Sacred Heart and in honor ~of St. Joseph by the Ar•:hbishop
(Taschereau), and the pastors of Notre Dame, St. Roch's
and St. John's, of the continual development of the Apostles/tip of Prayer, and of the Association of our Lady .of the
• Sacred Heart, his heart was gladdened and seemed to acquire new vigor. But alas! his ever decreasing bodily
strength did not equal the ardor of his zeal-perhaps even
thi~ interior fire helped to consume his mortal frame.
But the month of St. Joseph had now come. Three novenas to this great Patriarch and Patron ofthe Church were
begun at the same time; one for Fr. Hanipaux, one for the
Society of Jesus and one for the t:<ithful. The good Father
united himself to all these intentions-offering up to God
through the hands of his holy Patron, the sacrifice of his
life.
On the 12th of March he desired to receive the Viaticum
during the night. His sufferings were intense up to 7
o'clock P. M., when the prostration of his bodily strength
was complete. He told a Father who was by him at the
time: "I shall die at midnight." At a quarter to eight, he
requested that the prayers for the agonizing should be said,
in which the good Father himself joined, making the responses with great piety. An hour later, with his brethren
. who surrounded his bed, he recited the customary prayers,
and finally, those of the novena.
�St. !g;utius', Adams Co., Pa.
127
At midnight, March I 2th, 1872, Fr. Hanipaux expired
without agony-and retaining complete possession of his
f<tculties up to the last. He seemed to have been spared·
long enough to enjoy the consolation of dying during
the month and novena of St. Joseph, his holy Patronand on a \Vednesday, a day consecrated to this great
Saint- and as he had ardently desired, in the midst
of his brethren. Two weeks before his death, when the
good Sisters of Charity offered him a room in the hospital, that he might be better taken care of. he answered:
··i-Io. · I desire to die in the midst of my brethren."
The mortal remains of Fr. Hanipaux repose in the vault
of the Cathedral, near the new chapel of St. Joseph and not
far from the tombs of two of his brethren in religion, Fr.
Nicholas Point, and Fr. Jno. Bapt. Mcnet.
MISSION AT ST. IGNATIUS', MOUNTAIN.
ADAMS CO., PA.
None who are familiar with the history of the "Book of
the Exercises," need the convincing proof of its present
miraculous effects to be persuaded, that rather to the direct
inspiration of the Holy Ghost than to the unlettered soldier
of Pampeluna does it owe its origin. To the unction diffused by the Spirit of God through every page, must be
·ascribed th;: numberless conquests made by this "golden
hook" from the time when Christ's ministers first wielded
·so potent an arm in the rescue of souls, down to the days
'in which we live. Nor has our own land of America, em(n;;:ntly a missionary region, been the last to feel its benefi-
�128
cia! influence ... The temL:ncy to materialism. more strongly
developed he~t; than elsewhere, th;:: \Lt:lt of d surncient Ill.Hl1·
ber of priests to break the bread of life for Christ's little
ones; the scarcity of churches, especially in rural districts;
the distance of Catholic families from those who can adnlinister the Sacraments; the \lllchristian and infidel surroundings, as .well as the immoral tendf"ncy of literature, have all
served to weaken Catholics in their faith, to ,i.·ean them from
the practice of their duties, and, in not a few cases, have
' even led to an entire renunciation of religion; But wh~n a
mission is announced, grace seems to invade the souls of
many of these wanderers. Great efforts are made to be
present, and daily experience shows that this c~rrespond­
ence to grace, joined with a faithful attendance, ha~~ ,re·sulted in a return to the path of salvation, so long neglected.
The following details concerning one of these missions
given by a Father of the Novitiate, Frederick, ~Id, at the
little church of St. Ignatius, half way between Chambersburg and Gettysburg, Pa., although they cannot engage
the a~tention by reason of any miraculous events, will, at
least, pro:v.e .the all-fostering care of that Heavenly Father,
who loves his "little ones'' as the ".apple of his eye."
The church was built in r8r7, by Fr. :Marshall, who,
shortly after its completion, died on the Atlantic, during a
voyage undertaken for the recovery of his health.· The site
of the church, perched as it is on the top oftbe Blue R,idge,
seemed one but ·little. f.worable for the success of any mission- which might be viven there. The. rough mol!ntain
roads, which ·lead to it, in themselves sufficiently wea~ying,
are ri::i1dered doubly fatiguing on account of the con?tant
ascent, an· ascent which has to be conqu~red, by paris!iioners who live at a distance of from one to ten miles. These
diffi-culties hm\cever did not prevent the ,little ~dific~ ft;<ttn being: ~Lied eVery morning by a crowd which ren1ai~eq the ..
whole d<ty, ,the exercises closing at 5 o'clock in tlw. <1fter- ,,
noon, At about 6 A. l\1., you might have s-een from ·t\~·~lve
to fifteen mothers with their little ones, gathered around
•
.
. .
!
• ;
.
~
�St. Ignatius', Adams Co., Pa.
129
the stove in a little room adjoining the church, having set
a praiseworthy example to the stronger residents of the
place, by walking three or four miles before sunrise (for the
mission takes place about the middle of October!) in order
to be in due time to commence the exercise. On the very
day the mission was opened, several young men presented
themselves to the Father who was to give the ret-reat in order to ask his advice. ''If ,.;.e come to the' mission," said
they, "we'll lose our employment, a~d. if we go· to our
work, we won't be able to attend the retreat !" The Father
recited the rosary with them to obtain light from hea\·en in
regard to their course of action. Enlightened and strength~n~d by their prayer, the young men unanimously agreed
that no temporal interest should prevent them from attending to what had so important a bearing on the more important one of eternity. They resolve, for that week,: to discontinue their ordi11ary employments, in order to engage in
the exercises of the retreat. I ought to remark in this
place, that the feliing, sawing and transportation of timber
furnishes the laborers of this vicinity with their principal·
means of employment. The Father having learnt that work
was not pressing at the time, since the saw-mills had been
obliged to suspend operations on account of the dearth of
water, no rain having f.1.llen for four months, told the young
~nen to promise their employers, that they would "pray for
1'lllll.
This they did, and although. on informing those for
~dwm they worked of their determination of attending the
mission, they were allowed to withdraw, their promise to
"'pray for rm'n" was received with not a few incredulous
smiles. God, however, who is so ready to reward any act
of simple f.1.ith or self-sacrifice on the part of his creature,
was not deaf to the petition of those who had shown so generous a compliance to his own interior call. On the 4th
day the rain-clouds discharged their wished-for contents i11
abundance! Nor should one circumstance connected with
this answer to their prayer be passed over in silence. The
shower did not commence until all were in the church, and
�130
St. lgnatud, Admns Co., J'a.
the rain continued until 4 o'clock, P. :\L, when the sun
breaking forth with ail his wonted warmth and splendor,
enabled those in attendance at the church to reach their
respective homes without any great inconvenience.
On the evening of the 2nd day, it was the parish priest
who expressed his fears to the father that the mission would
have to be interrupted by some. "To-morrow is electionday," said he, "and the men are anxious to cast their votes,
although they do not like having to lose the instructions.
But they cannot help doing so, since the poiis are eight
miles from here." Matters, however, were soon arranged.
The men were enabled to fulfil their duty as citizens, without neglecting their more important one of Christians. Instructions for that day were anticipated by nearly an hour
and a hal( At about 10 o'clock A. l\1., one hundred men
march in procession from the church to the poiis; cast the
momentous vote; dispose of the light meal they had
brought with them; and once more formed into rank, marr:h
back to the mountain church, and assist at the remaining
duties of the day-beads, a sermon and benediction. There
are some things certainly remarkable in this little mission,
which proved so perfect a success. Not a single individual
belonging to the church of St. Ignatius failed to present
him or herself at the tribunal of penance, and afterwards to
receive the holy Sacrament o"f the Eucharist. In the beginning of the exercises great doubts were entertained of some
seven or eight who had not passed the threshold of the
Church for years, and who were generally regarded as hav1
ing outlived their time of conversion. The f..<ther, having
been apprised of the deplorable condition of these hardened
sinners, recited the beads twice a day with the congregation,
that the blood of Jesus Ch~ist might obtain for these tmfortunates the grace of awakening to a sense of their dangerous
condition. At tlu: end of tlze tlzird day, not a soul was wantiug.
All repaired their past misdemeanors by a contrite confession, and received the pledge of salvation at the Holy Table.
During the course of the mission, all who had made their
�St. Ignatius', Adams Co., Pa.
131
first communion were placed under the immediate care of
our Blessed Lady by being invested with the Scapular ofMt.
Carmel. At the close of the retreat, a mission cross of solid
oak, 20 feet in height, was erected in front of the Church.
After the ropes and pullies, which wen! to raise it to its station, had been adjusted, the father would not allow any man
to take part in this performance, but, by his orders, the boys
of the congregation, seizing the ropes, hoisted the cross into
its proper place. Thus in after years they can direct the
attention of their own children to the "Cross of the Mission", which they themselves had raised as boys. Perhaps
I have, already, taken more of your space than I can justly
claim for these simple facts, and I will not add to them
some others regarding the mission, which can serve to
swell the contents of another No. of the "vVoodstock Letters." Certainly, it can not be unprofitable for those who
are yet young in the Society to learn to look at the labors
of those already bearing "the heat of the da:y" ; and to see
with what blessings God crowns their efforts for his Glory;
whilst those who are girded to toil of a· kindred nature in
other portions of the Lord's vineyard, cannot view without
interest the exertions of their brothers in Xt., who are animated with the same spirit as themselves.
].B.
�LENTEN 1\IISSIONS. BY THE FATHERS OF
THE NOVITIATE, FREDERICK, :'liD.
NonTIATE, FREDERICK
CITY, l\In.
7, I8jz.
APRIL,
REV. ASD DEAR FATHER,
P. C.
Our missionaries have at length returned "portantes manipulos suos" and your request is· to be complied with.
But first let it be said in extenuation of the somewhat meagre account that ours are not accustomed to notice many
things, which would be noticed by others, either because
they are the natural accompaniments \of a mission, or because, looking to the main purpose, that is, the confession
and communion, they regard all other things of mi·nor importance and hence lose sight of them altogether. Again,
the usual result of all missions, which is the triumph of
God's grace in the conversion of the sinner and the return
of many who had, Prodigal-like been long away from their
Father's house, is so much the same that when one mission
is recorded, the others may be easily known; the only difference being in the number of the congregation to which
it is given. This premised will give you some c"onsolation
in your possible disappointment.
,
The first mission was in our Church here. There was
much apprehension that this would prove a £-lilure, as not
a long time had elapsed since the last mission and our Fathers thought there would be somewhat of apathy, especially as the court was being held at the same tirr.e and a
most important case was to come up for trial, in which the
sympathies of almost the whole County was enlisted. The
inclement weather also threatened to keep many away.
B.ut this our good God turned aside until the close, and it
�Lcntm Jfissions of 1872.
133
was noticed as strange for the season that so many comparatively good days succeeded one another.
There were
about 450 communions with a little over 100 confessions
of children who had not yet made their communion, but
were instructed daily by one of the Fathers, who had chosen that as his special part of the mission. :\lany miracles
of grace were among this number, and even after all was
over it continued to act: "my word shall not return to me
empty."
One instance of divine Providence must not however be omitted. It was of a cold Catholic, immersed in
temporal business, who did not think he had time even to
go once a day to the instruction. He had been many years
away from his duty, and had in consequence of his affairs
no inclination for the ordinary duties even of a Catholic.
It was however so ordained by God that his business took
him one night just by the church, and hearing the preacher,
he felt induced to go in for a few moments. The subject
was the return of the prodigal. So apposite to his own
condition was the parable; that the application, aided by
grace, changed him entirely, and he immediately hastened
to go to his £'lther and recover the stole of innocence he
had lost.' Since then he makes up for the wasted time by
a faithful and constant attendance. Only two of the missions dependent on Frederick were evangelized this lent
and nothing specially worthy of note happened. As usual
a number of prodigals returned and the good were confirmed in the way of salvation. They arc particularly noted for their regularity. In one however where no mission
was given we have to record the conversion, baptism and
first communion of two estimable protestant ladies, who
married to Catholics and attending Church, whenever it
was given, had for many years kept back from professing
the £'lith of their hu"bands. Touched at last by grace they
abjured in the hands of the venerable Fr. Mc.Elroy their
errors and made their first communion on Easter Sunday.
Two missionaries were sent to the neighboring missions
of \Vinchester and Harper's Ferry in Virginia. The grace
,
�134
Lenten 1lfissions
of 1872.
awakened many Catholics from their torpor and the good
pastor was gratified far beyond his expectations, as he
found he had more souls under his care than he was aware.
In \Vinchester over I 50 and in Harper's Ferry over 250
went to communion. Two circumstances in these places
deserve to be noted. ·The first was that all, but especially
the children were invited to pray every day in common for
those who through long resistance to grace had rendered
themselves unworthy of favor. The result of this, we may
justly ascribe, was the great number of those who had been
for years away from the Sacraments now returning. Many
indeed were riot known to be Catholics even by their most
intimate acquaintances. The second was the holy pride
which seemed to animate them with respect to tlt-.:ir religion. For among the crowd gathered to hear the word of
God, there were many protestants and even ministers of various denominations, to whom by their attention and eagerness to avail themselves of the benefits offered, the Catholics
seemed to show how much superior in everything was their
religion. Indeed such was their fear of losing anything
that was said, that they did not notice the cold that was
streaming through the open doors of the Church, and the
pastor had frequently to advise them to close the doors for
the benefit of all.
, The crowds came from ten and twenty miles around ; although there was snow and frost sometim~s so deep and
bitter that it was a real work to get to the Church. It was
a great consolation to the Fathers in their labors to see the
eagerness of those who wished to be reconciled to God.
The same consolation awaited the three Fathers who
\vere s.ent to Martinsburg, where the number of Catholics
was much greater. The eagerness of the people to hear
continued unabated the whole week ;~.nd the consequence
was that over 900 confessions were heard and more than
8oo approached holy communion. Although no controversial sermons were preached, there were 8 converts, of
whom two were baptized and the remainder left for instruc-
��C I.R C U L .Li R:
!ro the Pa,trons of the "JVootlstock Letters":
J.lEVEREND FATIIER:
P. C.
Tlte favorable reception which the first ll!Uilber of' our
clomestic publication has nwt with, is to ns an encottraye1nent which we hardly expected, but for whiclt we are
most sincerely grateful. Our 1JOUII[J printers will therefore clwerj'ully continue to devote a portion of tltd r
leisltre uw1nents to a task which ltns now becunw doubly
a. Jllf:;tMttre; ancl wltile they hope that interm;ti ny mat•~1'ials will be se11t then~ to enrich tlte payes of' tlw "Letters," they will cudeat•m• to pe1t'orm. their sharr! of tlw
wm•k in sudt n 1uaun•~r as to merit the colttiluwd apJH'obation of' our PafJ•on.o.~.
But w; the uwchauical e:cecufion of' thi.o.~ task t•equirn.;
souw outlay f'•w the JHtrrhase of t!Jllc, JmJU~1' and otlwr
materials, -it .;..; hoped that the lln·ert~lul Superiors of
tlw Collerfe.o.~ and I louse.~ to which tlw "Ldters" are .~r~ut.
will kiudly a.~sist us to liH'et the (';rpt!11St'.~.
JVe.cm;fidcntlJJ leare tlw df'frwmiuation of the anwuut
of' tlwi1• contribution to tlwit• own wf'll-lnwum lilwrality,
raul will nwrely add that tire rntl co.~t of tlw publif'frtion, as it is ow• iufeution to i ...su.e it, willlutrrll !J lu< ltw.o.r
than $2.00 a year (!'or J'oreign countries, 1().-;, or 1 .'tJ'r.)
JJostaye i1n·ludnl.
TJIE EDI'l'Oll.
JVootlstocl.; Collt~ye,
I£owat•fl Co., .~lid.,
.1liay, 187'2,
�Lmtm Jllissions of 1872.
135
tion to be baptized in the beginning of May. The number
of those who returned after long years to their Mother, was
very great, and in some there was a generosity that bordered
on h !rui~ n.
Some scand:1ls of long standing were repaired, and some who had seemed to lose all faith, were recalled again to a new life. One of the Fathers who had
preached strenuously and whose voice was weakened and
throat ulcerated had to b:gin another mission imm:diately.
Fearful of the consequences he promised a novena for the
souls in purgatory, if he should be able to go successfully
through the second mission, and his prayer was granted; for
his throat seemed to be in suspense until he had finished,
when the soreness again returned and gave him an opportunity to confirm in himself the good ad\·ice he had given
to others.
Two others, all we had to sp1re, were sent to St. Paul's
Church, \Vorcester, Mass., the result of whose labors after
ten days was 3805 confessions, which were no doubt increased to 4000 and more before the close of the week. The
same eager desire to avail themselves of the mission was
manifested here, and a great many were brought to confession, who had been away for a long time. \Vhat perhaps
made this superior to the others was that the winter was at
its height still while the mission was going on and yet there
was not the slightest diminution of attendance. Unfortunately the Fathers were too busily occupied in reconciling
the adults to find time to do any thing particular for the
young. All they could do was to represent to the parents the
necessity of fulfilling their obligations and to impress upon
all the duty of working well for their salvation ..
This includes only the missions given during lent. There
were other missions to congregations, students in colleges and academics, monasteries and priests, during the
year, in which much good was done. Our good Fr. McElroy, old as he is, is not idle in this good work, having given
ten retreats to religi')US houses, besides preaching single
sermons to congregations, wherever he chanced to be.
�LETTER FROl\I FLORISSANT.
NoviTIATE oF ST. STAXISLAs,·
l\'Io.
FEB. 19th, 1872.
NEAR FLORISSANT,
REV. AND DEAR FATHER,
P. C.
In the first number of the \N oodstock Letters reference
is made to a church in course of erection on our premises.
It is completed now, and furnishes a few items which may
prove interesting.
For thirty years back and more, this neighborhood has
been inhabited by a class of old Canadian settlers or Creoles, harmless indeed ;-for violence and theft, and even
drunkenness, are almost unknown among them, and no police is ever required ; -but they are rarely seen in any
Church, except on occasion of a funeral, a baptism, a marriage or the yearly first communit,n of the children. These
are what some call the four sacraments of the Creoles.
This however is scarcely fair; for they have a lively f.1.ith
in the last sacraments too ; and come galloping in the middle of the night, just in time to get a priest before the patient expires, except when they happen to come too late.
The chapel to which we used to invite them, had few
attractions, it being the second story of an old frame build·
ing, while the village church of Florissant was between
three and six miles distant from most of their dwellings,
rather far for their slumbering piety.
Such was the population, for which some of our most
zealous Fathers had labored assiduously for many years,
whether as novices, as tertians, or in other capacities. It
would have been quite appropriate to ask, "Can any good
come from Stringtown?" for this was the euphonious name
of the locality.
�Lt!t<r from Florissant.
137
Meanwhile the :\Tessenger of the S. Heart used to come
month after month to tell us of the constant stream of graces flowing from that loving Heart, especially when ca~es
seemed desperate before. Our confidence was awakened,
and many a month this neighborhood was recommended in
the pages of that esteemed publication. Then there occurred
an unexpected change for the better. Kind Providence
sent us one of our Fathers, who succeeded in gathering an
unusually large audience at the devotions of the Month of
May, A. D. r86g. F ..:rvor was enkindled. To perpetuate
it, a Society of the Rosary was established, which more
than doubled the number of monthly communions. The
next year the Apostleship of Prayer was added, bringing
down a new shower of graces. Soon a desire was felt to
build a little church. But where was the money to come
from? The neighbors were mo:.;tly poor, and spoiled in
this particular; for they had never been called upon to contribute for religious purposes. It was not supposed that
$500 could be collected from the f.<ithful.
However, during the last months of l\'Iay and Juue, prayers were asked in the chapel, and the subject was recommended among the intentions of the Messenger, that our
good Lord and His holy Mother might provide the funds.
\Ve were immediately and abundantly heard. In June a
subscription list was opened, a somewhat larger circle than
the immediate neighborhood being taken in, and, in a few
months, a very neat country church has been built, furnished and paid for, costing over three thousand dollars.
Protestants and Catholics have shown equal good will on
the occasion. Every one is both surprised and delighted.
The church was dedicated to Our Lady of tl_Je Rosary.
The next point was to fill it with worshippers. This blessing, too, its Holy Patroness has obtained. A mission,
though preached under disadvantages, has made th"e people
f.<miliar with their house of prayer: its forty-six pews are
all rented, and attendance on Sundays is very satisf;tctory.
Some fathers of families, who, it was generally known, had
�not frequented the holy sacra·n~nts for m:my years, lnve
done so now, and have become edifying Christians. In
fact, the enthusiasm at the concluding ceremony of the
mission was so great, that the unedifying name of " Stringtown" was, in honor of the church's patroness, Our Lady
of the Rosary, changed to that of " Rosarytown," which is
now the received appellation of this locality. As soon as· a
post-office will be established here, it will be Rosary P. 0.
I am, Rev. and Dear Father,
Yours in the Sacred Hearts,
C. CoPPE:-;s, S. J.
ST. JOSEPH HEARS THE PRAYER OF THE
POOR.
CI:-;CJXXATI, MARCH I ::?th, I 872.
F . \T!IER,
In times of scarcity <l.nd dearth, the Little Sisters of the
Poor are often among the first to feel the effects of want.
And, when. these generous givers are themselves needy and
empty-handed, what must become of theaged beings who
depend upon them, unless they be furnished with food and
raiment by the same kind providence that feeds the birds of
the air and-clothes the lilies of the field?
But.God delights to extend the mantle of His solicitude
over His little. ones and to reward their child-like confidence
in Him. The following is one instance among many, that
He has made them His special charge. Though but indirectly connected with the labors of the Society, this little
REV. AND DEAR
�St. :.Joscplz lzmrs t!te Pra;'cr of t!tc Poor.
I
39
incident may, perhaps, find a suitable place in the "Woodstock Letters." For the favor was dispensed by the hands
of St. Joseph and cannot fail to increase our devotion to
him.
Coal has been very scarce here this winter. Owing to
the low water in the Ohio River, the supplies from Pittsburgh were cut off for a time; moreover, several barges,
after arriving safely at the levee, snapped their moorings and
were sunk or dashed down the stream by the floating mass
of ice. This soon came home to the hearths of many a family. For fuel became very dear, and the cold meanwhile
was uncommonly severe. The poor might be seen along
the newly-raised roads and highways picking up the stray
cinders scattered here and there upon the ground.
Towards the end of February the "Little Sisters" had
also exhausted their supply of coal ; and having no earthly.
resource, they addressed themselves to St. Joseph, the
Treasurer and chief Procurator of the poor. On the 26th
of Feb. they began to offer up prayers, prefaced with the
intention "To St. Joseph for some coal." The Father who
attended them, had listened to this petition which was read
out aloud every day at Mass ; and, not hearing it the succeeding week he inquired of the Mother Superior: "\Vhy
have you discontinued your prayers for coal? have you
lost courage?" He was answered by the recital of the following facts :
On the previous Thursday (Feb. 29th), after praying so
fervently to St. Joseph for four days, they were reduced to
extreme distress. There was only a mere coating of slack
and broken coals on the floor of the cellar, and the fires
could not be kept up sufficiently to warm the shivering limbs
of age. The Superioress, finding herself forced to seek instant relief for her little community, summoned all its members together to recite the Rosary in common. They did
so with great piety. And; when afterwards the Sisters conversed with the aged inmates, it was edifying to witness the
good spirits manifested in the countenances and good-·
�140
St. :Joscplt !tears tlzc Prayt·r of tlzc Poor.
humored jests of all. "Maybe", said one, ''St. Joseph knows
that it is the 29th of February, and he don't wish to help us
on a leap year day." "That's very true," chimed in an old
woman, ''and to-morrow is the first day of the month of St.
Joseph: let us have patience till to-morrow at all events."
"Sure and we will; nobody would refuse to humor St. Joseph that much," added an old Irishman in a shrill-toned
voice; "but," said he, "if he don't help us to-morrow, he
deserves to be lodged in the cellar himsel('' This outburst
of geniality satisfied all, and they separated quite contented.
But Friday passed away; and in spite of their fervent
Novena the coal-cellar remained as empty as before. But
they were determined to overcome St. Joseph at all hazards,
and in their simplicity they carried out the suggestion made
the day before. They took the statue nf St. Joseph to the
cellar and left it there as a pledge, insisting that the saint
would surely redeem it. And so the statue spent Fridaynight in the coal-cellar. Yet St. Joseph did not mind that
either; fur Saturday morning came, but no coal. It was
the 2nd of March, and the Superioress took a surer· means
of prevailing on the Saint.
One of the inmates is an old blind woman, who is very
pious and constantly engaged in prayer. This good creature was told to go to the Chapel and pray for the Community all day, with the injunction that, if she did not obtain
some coal from St. Joseph, she would have to keep him
company in the cellar on Monday. She did as she was ordered: she prayed hard and overcame St. Joseph, who appeared, up to this time, to have been deaf to all appeals.
\Vhen called for dinner to report on the prospects of success, she replied: " 'Tis all right ;-we'll get coal." · That
same evening a boy came with the message; ''Mr. Spencer
will bring you a /zundrcd buslzcls of coal; he wants you to
make ready to receive it".
The trap-door of the cellar was opened, and from above
the coal-cobs poured down on the floor in abundance, while
from the door opposite the old folk bore off the statue of
.·
�Extracts if Letters from Abroad.
St. Joseph in triumph to the Chapel. No doubt they must
have consoled their Protector for his imprisonment, by lighting a lamp in his honor and offering him the tribute of their
innocent hearts.
EXTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM ABROAD.
vVe are indebted to Rev. Father Healy, S. J., of Georgetown Coliege, D. C., for the following interesting and edifying details extracted from private letters kindly placed by
him at our disposal :
NEGAPATAM, DEc. 4th, 1871.
received your letter two days ago. How many old
memories it stirred up! * * * Our dear noble-hea,rted Du
Coudray! \Vhat frightful things-what pages for history!
And still the tragedy has not drawn to a close yet; but it
may perhaps be ended before these lines reach you. But
our hopes are with the Church and with God. And you of
the New \Vorld, do you always go on with gigantic strides?
* * * Here in India, Protestants were loudly proclaiming
the down£1ll of the Church, especially after the humiliation of France. But, in fact, we are making steady, not
perhaps very rapid progress, and practically Protestantism
itself finds out every day more and more that Catholicity is
advancing. This is shown by new foundations springing up
everywhere, by the more prominent position of our VicarsApostolic, and by a growing liberality and respect on the
part of Government. At Calcutta our Belgian Fathers
have a college which can successfully cope with the most
flourishing of their schools. At Bombay they are fast getting the upperhand. * * * We, though somewhat out of
the way, are tlze Catholic Institution of the Presidency ; _and
**I
�Ertracts
of Letters finn Abroad.
yet we have nothing but natives and have to contend with
many difficuities. * * * * In the latter part of October we
had a visit from the Governor of Madras, Lord Napier, a
Puritan, as ·he remarked with a smile, who has been treating us as even a Catholic .would have done. * * * On that
occasion we gave him an evening entertainment; the comedy and music especially were good. To see the natives
act their parts in the play, and sing European music as they
did, took all by surprise ; and the whole affair was a real
triumph for the college.
* * * * * But let me tell you something worthy of note
which happened here lately. As I was walking through one
ofthe streets my attention was attracted by a crowd which
had gathered around a large man holding in his arms a little girl under ten years of age. The poor little creature had
just been bitten by a cobra; from her mouth a long gluey
drivel was oozing which hung in strings or meshes down
to the very ground-it was evident that she had but a few
moments to live. I asked them if they wished me to do
anything. Yes, they said, to cure her. I told them that I
had no other remedy at hand than to bless her; should I
do so? Yes,.by all means. The snake, they said, had bitten her hand; they wished me to bless the hand. I called
for fresh water. A Turk ran -into his house near by and
brought a basin of water. I took the child's hand, washed
it thrice in the form of a cross, pronouncing meanwhile the
prescribed formula !-Quid de Baptismo ?-Unfortunately,
perhaps, the child recovered soon after, and the people attributed it to the blessing. I must nO\v see to her being
brought up a Catholic.
N.UIUR, MARCH, 16, I8J2.
* * *
I must now tell you of an event which has given us
much consolation here, and which ought to be made known
for the honor of our Blessed Lady. One of our young students, about fifteen years of age, had been suffering from a
putrid sore throat; the gangrene had gradually poisoned
all the blood in his system, and the physicians pronounced
�Et·tmcts of lttto·s from Abroad.
143
the case hopeless. In' f.<ct the poor boy was at the point of
death ; all remedies were powerless and no hope was entertained of preserving life until even the close of the day. At
about two o'clock we brought him some water of our Lady
of Lourdes, which he drank. Almost immediately a copious discharge of gangrened matter found vent through
the nostrils. A marked improvenicnt in the patient's condition resulted ; he grew better rapidly and in a short time
completely recm·ercd. \Ve had offered fervent vows, and
all the students had prayed earnestly for this f.wor; their
gratitude was expressed by a general and fervent communion on the following Sunday.
D. 0. M.
��vVOODSTOCK LETTERS.
VOL. 1., No. 3·
FATHER WHITE'S RELATION.
[Continued.]
During the voyage many singular things happened. In
the first place, we met withjl_J'ing-jislt, which at one time cut
the sea with th-:ir wings, and again the high air. They are
of the size of flounders, or the larger ray, which also they
greatly resemble in taste. They poise themselves in the air,
in flocks of a hundred, '~hen they are trying to escape from
the dolphins that ptirsue them. Some of these, when their
w:ng,.; failed them, dropped into our ship; fcir, at one effort,
they do not fly over a space of more than two or three acres ;
then they dip in the wa"ter their wings that have been dried
by the air and again commit themselves to the sky.
Inter navigandum multa occurrebnnt
cm·io~n.
In primis pisces rulan-
te.'<, qui modo aequor modo acm sublime pcnnis secahant, passerum mng-
nitudine vel mnjorum sparulorum quos valde ctiam gust\1 prnegrnto
rcferunt. Cimteni gregatim se in nere librant delphinos cum fugiunt in~equentes. Eorum ali qui deficicnte pennnrum remigio in nostrum navim
(lcciderunt ; nam uno impetu non amplius quam duorum vel trium jugernm spatium pervolant; tunc pinnas aere exsiccatas aquis rursus immcrgunt, et se iterum coelo committunt.
�q6
F,atltcr Tr 7zitc's Rdatioll.
\Vhen \Ve were distant twenty-one degrees and ~orne
minutes from the equator, where the tropic commen:cs, w.:
,\·ere permitted to see floating in the air the birds which
from their locality they call tropic birds. It i~ uncertain
whether these birds, which equal the falcon in size, and are
conspicuous for two very long white feathers in 1h~ tail, arc
continually in the air; or rest themselves at times on the water. Other things I omit which are learned from the letters
of others.
\Vhen we had passed the Fortunate Islands, Lord Leonard Calvert, the commander of the fleet, began to consult
with what merchandise to load the ship when about to return and where to obtain it, so that he might lighten the
expenses of his brother, the Baron of Baltimore; for the
entire burden fell upon him as the chief one of the whole
expedition. In Virginia, no advantage was expected from
our countrymen, for they are hostile to this new plantation.
Therefore, we were steering for the island of St. Christopher, when, after consultation, fearing lest at that late season of tpe year, others might have anticipated us, we turned
our prow towards the south, that we might reach Bonavista, which island is opposite Angola, on the coast of Africa, fourteen degrees from the equator. It is a station of
Cum ab Aequatore uno et viginti gradilms et aliquot minutis ahesse·
mus, ubi Tropicvs incipit, videre emt aves, quas a loco tmpica.• vocant,
in aere pendulas; illae cum falconem mole adaequent, dualms praelongis
ct albentibus plumis in cauda' conspicuae, incertum est an aeri pcrpetuo
insideant, an quandoque aquis se sustentent. Cnetera ut aliorum litcris
nota omitto.
Cum Insulas Fortunatas essemus praetervecti Dominus Leonard us Cal·
vert, Prucfectus Classis, agitarc coepit quas merces et uncle compararc pos·
set navi reduci onerandae quo fratris sui Baronis de Baltimore sumptibus
caveret. Illi enim ut totius navigationis Principi onus integrum incumbebat. In Virginia a nostratibus nihil commodi sperabatur, sunt enim
huic novae plantationi infensi. Itaque ad insulam Sti. Christophori tendebamus, cum, consilio adhibito, vcrentes ne ea anni sera tempestate alii
nos praevenissent, proras obvertimus ad Austrum ut Bonaevistae potiremur; quae insula, Angolae opposita in littore Africano, gradibus 14 ab
Aequatore, statio est Hollandorum salem conquirentium quem deinde vel
�Fatltcr I V!tit/s Rdation.
147
the Hollandc:-s for obtaining salt, which they take thence
either to their own country or to Greenland to cure fish.
The abundance of salt, also of the wild goats with which
the island is well supplied, invited us ti1ither; for it is used
by no one as a habitation. Only a few· Portuguese, exiled
from their country on account of their crimes, drag ot.t
their lives as best they can.
Scarcely had we gone two hundred miles, when our
counsel being changed, at the ~ uggestion of some, lest provisions ·might £1il us in so great a compass, we turned our
course toward:> Barbadoes. It is the remotest of the Caribbee or Antilles Islands, thirteen degrees distant from the
equator, and the storehouse of the other islands, which after
the shape ofa bow, are extended in a long tract even to the
Gulf of Mexjco. \Vhen we arrived at this Island, on the
3d of January, we were in hope of receiving many articles
of trade from the English inhabitants and Governor of the
same blood ; but a conspiracy being made, they determined
not to sell us a bushel of wheat, the price of which in the
Island w~s half a Belgic florin, except at five times its market value, for two florins and a half. For a shote they dem.anded fifty florins ; for a turkey, twenty-five florins; for
other smaller fatted fowls of this kind, three florins. Beef
domun{ Yl'lnd piscem in Groenl:uulia condiemlmu confernnt. Copia sa lis
atque etiam cnprarum, qua rum insula femx est, eo nos invitnbnt; nam
alio(LUi habitatore nullo utitur. Pnuci tnntum Lu~it:mi exilio propter
~celera pulsi, vitmn ut pos~unt trnhunt. Vix ducenta millinria conleceramus cum mutatis iterum quorumdnm suggestione consiliis ne commea·
tus in tnnto circuitu nos deficcret, deftectinms nd Barbados.
Est ea Carebum sen Antillarum Insularum infima ab Aequatore 13
gradibus distans, caeterarumque quae in modum arcus ad usque sinum
Uexicanum Iongo tractu protenduntur granarium. Ad hanc ut appulimus tertio ,Jnnuarii in spem venimus multarum commoditatum ab incolis
Anglis et consanguineo Gullernatorc; sed conspiratione facta, modium
tritici, qui in Insula medio ftorcno Belgioo veniebat, nobis nonnisi quintupla proportione duohus ftorenis cum dimidio vend ere decreverunt. N e.
frendem unum quinquaginta ftorenis licital>ant: pullum indicum vigintiquinque, caetera ejus generis altilia minora tribus florenis. Bovinam
�q8
Fat!tcr ll"!titc's Rdatioll.
or mutton they had none; for they li\·e daily on corn-bread
and potatoes, which kind of root grows in such abund,mce,,
that you may take away whole wagon loads without charge.
Reflection upon ·the Divine Providence mitigated th~
cruel treatment of men ; for we understood that a Spani~h
fleet was lying at the isle of Bonavista for the purpose of
prohibiting all foreigners from trading in salt. Moreover, if
we had proceeded on our voyage, we should ha\·e fallen into the snare and become a prey to them. In the meantime
we were rescued from a greater danger at Barbadoes ; for
the slaves through the , whole Island conspired for the
slaughter of their masters, and \vhen they could assert their
liberty successfully, resolved to seize the first ship which
should arrive and put out to sea. ,The conspiracy having
been disclosed by one whom the atrocity of the deed deterred, the execution of one of the leaders served for the
security of the Island and for our safety; for our ship, as it
'was the first which reached the shore, had been destined
for their prey; and on the very day on which we landed
we found eight hundred men under arms in order to prevent this most imminent crime.
The length of the Island of Barbadoes is thirty miles, its
breadth fifteen miles; it is thirteen degrees from the equator,
sen vervecinmn nullam habebant; vivunt enim pane imlico et patati~.
quod radicum genus tanta nffluentia provenit, ut plnustm integrn gratis
auferre liceat.
,
Hominum acerbam severitntem Divinae Providentiae consid('rnt1o mi- ~· •·
tigavit. Intelleximus enim ad Insulam Bonaevistae stare cla~sem hispnnicam quae cxteros omnes salis commercio prohiberet; illo si porro contendissemus itinere constituto in cusses praeda fi!Cti decidissenms. :Mnjori
interim periculo ad Barbados erepti. Famuli per totam Insulam in necem dominorum conspirarunt, tum scilicet in libertatem asserti navi quae
prima appelleret potiri statuerunt et tentare maria. Conjuratione patefacta per quemdam quem facti atrocitas deterrebat, supplicium unius ex
praecipuis, et Insulae securitati et nobis salut\ fuit. Nostra enim navis,
ut quae prima littori applicuit, praedae destinata fuerat, et eo ipso die
quo uppulimus octingentos in armis reperimus, quo recentissimo sceleri
obviarent. Insulae Barbadorum 30 milliaria continet longitudo, latitudo
15, gradibus 13 ab Aequatore, calore tanto ut hibemis mensibus incolae
I
i•
;
�149
of so excessi\·e a temperature, that in the winter months
the inhabitants are clothed in linen, and often bathe themselves in the streams. At the time we arri\·ed it was har·
Yest. Unless the constant winds tempered the heat it would
be impossible to live there. Their beds are coverlets wo\·en
artfully together out .of cotton. \Vhen it is time to rest,
they sleep in these, stretched by ropes to a couple of posts
Dn each side. In day .time again, they pltt them wherever
they please. Their principal merchandise is corn and cot·
ton. It is pleasant to see the manner in \vhich the cotton
hangs from the stalk and the abundance of it. . The shrub
from which it grows is not larger than the prit,:kly Bear's
foot, which the vulgar call barberiu though more like a
tret;! than a thorn. It bears a pod of the size of a walnut,
but of a sharper form,which cleft into four parts gives forth
the cotton, rolled tog~ther in the form of a nut, whiter than
snow and softer than down. .There are six small seeds,
the size of a ''etch in the cotton, which, gathered at its time,
and freed by a kind of wheel from the seed, they place in
sacks and put away.
There is a wonderful kind of cabbage, which has a stalk
that grows to the height of one hundred and eighty feet;
it is eaten either raw or boiled; the stalk itself of the length
lincis wstiantur, ct nq\li's sc !<ncphrs innucrgant. J\[essis tum crat cum
appulinms. Nisi frequentes venti aestum temperarent impossibilis esset
· habitatio.. Lccti sunt stragula n>Stis ex gossipio atfabre texta; in hoc
· cum est quiescendi tempus, funibus nppenso ad duos hinc inde palos dor. miunt, de die iterum quocumque libet nuferunt. )[erccs praecipuae sunt
frumentum et gossipium. .Jucundum est videre modum et copiam pen\lentis ex arbore gossipii. Arbor ex qua nascitur major non est oxyacantho (quam vulgus Berberia vocnt) quamqualu arbori quam spinae si·
milior; haec nodum fert magnitudine juglandis, furma acutiori, qui in
quatuor partes dissectus, gossipium nive candidius et pluma mollius, in
· speciem nucis convolutum fundit .. Gvssipio sex parva semina insident,
viciae aequalia, quod tempore suo collectum et rota quadam a semine
expeditum condunt in saccos et asservant.
BraBSicae genus ndmirandum est, quae cum caulem habeat in centum
et octoginta pedum altitudinem excrescent em vel cruda cditur, vel elixa:
caulis ipse ad unius ulnae mensuram, sub fructu habetur in deliciis; ern-
�Flttk:·r 1V!tit.·'s R.latiolf.
of an ell below the fruit, is consid.:r.?d a gre:tt cL::llc:~.cy.
\Vhen raw, a little pepper being mixed with it, in taste it
far surpasses the Spanish artichoke; and the huge stalk, morelike a peeled walnut, and well equalling the trunk of a.
great tree, though not a tree however, but a vegetable.
bears but a single cabbage. There you may see a very tall
tree which they c:tll the so:1p tree. The grains orthe soap
tree do not exceed in size a filbert nut. The fatty coverin~
of these cleanses and scours after the manner of soap, although they say that it is injurious to the finer sort of
linen. Many of these grains brought by me to :Maryland
I have planted-the hope of future trees. Among the
trees, they also number the Palma Clzrisii. Although it
has a trunk porous and like a bean, it bears a large cluste1·
of berries somewhat of an ashy color; it is covered with
thorns and speckled with black spots. From these berries
an excellent oil is pressed. Lemons of a golden color,
citrons, pomegranates, nuts which the Spaniards call CoC0as, and other fruits of the warm regions, grow here in
abundance.
There is a fruit which they call gnaccar, of a gold color,
and of th$! form of a lirr.e; in taste, however, it resembles a
quince. The pupais, in color and form, is not unlike it,
but, as it is very sweet, it is used in preserves.
<Ius admixto piper.! s:tporc cartlum higpanicmn 8UJWrat-; et juglandi nullatac propior, ingcns caulis arbori8 bene magnne truncum adaequnn"' _.
ncque tamen arbor sPd Iegumen, bm~sicam fert no_11 am~ilius unam. Ibidem videre est nrborem ~ntis proceram quam xilpvnem Yoennt. Grnna
~aponi nucem :IYellanam non excedunt. magnitudine; horum pinguis tunic!!, snponis ins!nr, purgat et deterget, qunmquam, ut aiunt,linu tenuiori
inimica. Ex iis granis multa mecum ahlata in )Inrylandiam mnndnvi
terrne futurnrum arborum semina. Inter arboreR etiam numernnt Palmam ChrU.ti. Quamquam, truncum ilia habent porosum et Iegumini similem racemum fert irtgentem Reminum coloris snbcinericei, spinis nrmatum
et nigris mnculis inspersum. Ex hiR praestnns oleum cxprimitur. 1\Iala
aurea, citrina, granatn, nuces et.iam quas Hispani CtJCos vocnnt, caeterique
ealidnrum regionum fructus nbertim proveniunt.
Est fructus qui gnaccar dicitur, coloris aurei, forma citri minoris, gustu
La men ref(~rcns cydoninm. Pupais colore est ct forma non absimilis, sed
praednlcis cum sit, condiendis tan tum cibis adhibetur.
�Fatltcr H7titc's Rdation.
But the pine-apple excels all other fruits in the world
which I have tasted; it is of a golden color, and very
pleasant when mixed with wine-in size it is equal to two
'Or three European nuts of the same name, of form not unlike them, but in construction not marked with so many
Jittle divisions and protuberances, which, when put to the
fire, yield their nucleus, but soft and tender, enveloped in a
little membrane. It is very agreeable to the taste, not having a bitter kernel, but throughout equally pleasant to the
palate. Nor is the crown wanting which it deserves, for
without doubt it may be called ti1e queen of fruits. It has a
spicy taste, and, as fur as I can judge, resembling strawber·
ries. mixed with wine and sugar. It contributes much to
the preservation of h~alth, agreeing so weB with the constitution of the body, that although it C'Orrodes iron, it is
beyond aught else nourishing to man; nor do you pluck it
from a high tree, but there is one for each root, standing
out from the root- like Spanish card. I was desirous of
putting one of them with these Ietters into the hands of
Your Re\'erence, for nothing but the frui.t itself can give an
idea of it.
On the 24th of January, at night, having weighed anchor,
and about noon of the following day, having passed the Is·
Praecellit nutem cn<'teros, quos alibi tennrum gustavi fructus JYux Pt~
EHt ca coloris nurei, vinoque mixtn gratissima, tres vel quntuor
(~usdcm nominis nuces curopens mole ndacquat, figura non admodum
di~simili, sed operiosiore, non tot distincta Joculamentis et modulis, qui,
adhihiti ad ignem, nucleum reddant, sed mollis et tenella involutn memhranula, gustui jucundissima, nullo aspera acino, sed a summo deorsum
:1equa!iter palato arridens: neque deest quam merctur corona, hand dubio enim regina fructuum appellari pot est. Gustum habet aromaticum, et
quantum conjectura assequor, fraga, vino saccharoque mixta refcrentem.
Sanitati conservandae plurimum confert, corporum constitutioni tam a pte consentiens, ut ·Iicet ferrum exedat, hominem tamen, si qu!l res alia,
quam mnxime corroborat: neque praece!sa hanc quaeras in arhore, sed
unam una ex radice, quasi cardui Hispanici promineutem. Optabamme
nucen1 unam Paternitati Vestrae cum hiscc literis tradere potuisse in
manus, nihil enim illam praeter ipsam pro dignitate potest describere.
Vigesimoquarto Januarii de nocte subductis anchoris, et circa meridiem
llect.
.
�Father White's Rdatio1f,
land of St. Lucia on o1.1r left, by evening we reached Mat;tlina. ·At this place two boats of naked men, who wen;
afrilid o( the bulk of our ship, l1eld up to our sight from a..
distance, pumpkins, cucumbers, fruit of the plane tree, anu
parrots for traffic. They are a wild race, corpulent, and
daubed with purp,le •paint, ignorant of a God, greedy of
human flesh; having a little while before eaten up someEnglish interpreters. The country which they inhabit is
very fertile, but altogether a forest, without any open
plains~
A white flag being hoisted in token of peace, wt.:
invited those who were keeping aloof in the distance to
come and trade ; but disregarding the indication, they set
up their own usual signals. After showing them and le,arning who we were, they took courage and approached nearer.
But only a few bells and knives being exchanged, not
trusting too much to so powerful a ship, they went to the
pinnace, promising to bring better articles of trade the next
day, if we should determine to remain:· I hope some one's
heart will be touched with commiseration for this abandoned race. A rumor set afloat by some shipwrecked
Frenchmen excited interest among the sailors, that an
animal is found in this island, on whose forehead there is
a stone of UI}Common splendor, like a fire-coal or burning
fcqumtis diei relicta nd laevam insula S. Ludae, n:lJ n~rermn tenuimus Jfatalmmu. Hie duo lintre~ nudormu hominum molem nostruc navil' nriti, pPpom·s, <:ueurlJitas, fructus platani rt Jl~iltnco8 de Ionge ostc ntabant commut:mdos. Gens ctleru, obe:s1, Jligmen\i:qmrpurcis nit ens,'
ignara Numinis, carnium lmmanarum avida, ct quae Anglorum interprc·.
tcs aliquot pridem absumpscrnt, .J·pgiom·m colit illlJlrimis frrtilcm, sed
f[lUlC iota Iucus sit, nulla pltmitie pervia.
AjJlu~tro aliJo in signum pad"
proposito, cos qui se a Ionge ostentab:mt, invitavimus ntl commercia, sell
indicium avermti, insignia consueta propo:,uerunt.
Cum, his ostcnsi~
, 1ninam e:<~cmus intellexissent, animis assumptis, nccessere propius, sed
paucis tantum tintinnallulis, et cultellis acccptis pruepotenti navi non
nimium fidentes, celo<·em adeunt, promittcntes se, si consist ere deceJnerenms, scquenti die meliores merccs allaturos. Capiat olim, aliquem uti spero.
derelicti hujus populi miseratio. Apud nautas increbuit rumor (ortu·s u
quibusdam Gallis naufrngis) reperiri in l1nc insula animal cujus fronti
lapis inusitati splendoris insidl:t, prnnae vel candelae ardenti simili~.
�l53
~rrnd. To th:s c-n:mal they have given the name of the
.carbl.ndc. Let the authors of the report beiieve their own
story.
At the dawn of the day following, we reached another of
the Caribbee Islands \dtich they have named after Guadaloupe, because of a certain likeness between their mountains: and I trust it is no less under the protection of the
most holy Virgin l\Iother of Guadaloupe. From that we
z·eached Montserrat about noon, where we understood from
a French galley that we \\"ere not yet safe from the Spanish
fleet. Montserrat i:; inhabited by Irishmen who have been
expelled by the English of Virginia, on account of their
Catholic faith. Having spent a day we set sail for St.
Christopher's, where we stopped for ten days, being invited
to do so in a friendly way by the English Governor and
two Catholic Captains. The Governor of the French colony. in the same island, treated me with the most marked
kindness.
v\'hatever rare things are seen in Barbadoes I found here
and in addition to them, a volcanic mountain, and, what
you will wonder at still more, tltc <·zi-gin plant; so called,
beca~sc on the slightest touch of the finger it immediately
withers and falls, though reviving after a little while, it rises
H1de animali carbuncae nomen indiderunt. Rei fid!'s sit p!'nes auctorem.
Die proximo illncescente nlteram Carelnnn Insularum attigimus, quam
nsperormn montium similitudo hispnniee Guadalupac f<>cit cognonwn,
(•stque uti confido sub tut<>la t.;jusdem SS:\P. Yirg-inis :llatris. Indc )Ion·
serratem t<>nuilims circa fneridiem, uhi ex lemho gallico intelleximus
nondmn
ab Hispanormn" cln~~e tuto~ <''"e. Hah;t Monserrate in co·
las Hibemos pulso.s nb Anglis Yirgin'a<> oh lit lei C'atho!icac profcssioncm.
Tunc a•I :IIoevimu pestilenti aen• et Jeln·ihu~ inf:unem Uno die nbsumpto vela fecimus ad snncti Cltristuphori. uhi decem dies suhstitimus, u
Guhernntore Anglo et Capitaneis duohus Cntltolicis amice invitati. :Me
in primis benignc accepit Coloniae Gallicae in eadem Insula Prnefectus.
Quaccumque npud Barbados rara visuntur, hie etiam reperi et praeteren non proculn Praefecti sede montem sulplmreurn. Et quod ndmireris
mngis, Plantam Vir!Jz"nem, sic dictam quod minimo digiti contnctu confestimmarescat et concidat, quam quam data morn rcvivisc<>ns iterum assurgat. Placuit mihi inprimis locusta arbor, quam suspicio est praebuisse
;ws
�I
54
Father H'7zitc's R.-!atimr.
again. The locust tree especially pleased us, which, tradi..:
tion says, afforded sustenance to St. John the Baptist. It
equals the elm in size, and is so grateful to the bees, that
they are most ready to make their hive in it. The honey.
if you take away the name of "wild" neither in color nor in
taste differs from the purest honey I have tasted. The fruit,
also retaining the name of locust, consists of six beans
within a hard shell, in taste resembling flour mixed with
honey. It bears for seed four or five nuts somewhat larger. I have brought som.: of them to plant in the earth.
At length, sailing from this we reached what they call
Point Comfort in Virginia, on the 27th of February, full of
fear lest the English inhabitants, to whom our plantation is
very objectionable, should plot some evil against us. Letters, however, which we brought from the King and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Governor of these regions served to conciliate their minds, anti to obtain those
things which were useful to us. For the Governor of Virginia hoped, by this kindness to us to recover the more easily from the royal treasury a great amount of money due
to him. They announced only a vague rumor, that six
ships were approaching, which would reduce all thing~ under the power of the Spanish. For this reason all the invictum S. Joanni Baptistne; nlmnm adaequat nltitndine, npibus tam grata ut libentissime illi favos snos iu.plicent: mel si nomen sylvestris demas, neque colore, neque sapore a purissimo quod gustavi melle differt.
Fructus etiam, locnstac nomen retinens, in duriori cortice sex fabarum
siliquis pari, mednllam continet moll em, sed tenacem, gnsln fllrinae similem mellemixtae; semina fert grandiuscula.quatnor vel quinque coloris
castanei. Horum aliqua terrae inseremla asportavi.
Ac tandem hinc solventes, caput quod vocant Consolationis in Virginia
tcnuimus 27 Februarii pleni metu ne quid mali nobis machinarentur Angli incolae, quibus nostra plantatio ingrata admodum erat. Literae tamen quas a Rege et a summo Angliae Quacstore ml earum regionum
Praefectum ferebamus, valuere ad placando3 animos, et ea quae nobis porro usui futura erant impetranda: sperabat enim Praefectus Virginiae hac
benevolentia erga nos facilius a fisco Regio magnam vim pecuniae sibi
debitae recuperaturum. Sparsum tan tum rumorem nunciabant adventure
sex naves quae omnia sub Hispanorum potestatem redigerent: indigenas
I
�Father TV7titc's Rdati.;n.
ISS
l1abitants were under arms. The thing afterwards proved
to be in a measure true.
After a kind entertainment for eight or nine days, making
sail on the 3d of March, and carried into Chesapeake bay,
we bent our course to the north, that we might reach the
Potomac ri\•er. The Chesapeake, ten leagues broad, and
four, five, six,and even seven fathoms deep, flows gently
between its shores; it abounds in fish wh~n the season of
the year is favorable. A more beautiful expanse of water
you can hardly find It is inferior, however, to the Potomac, to which we gave the name of St. Gregory.
oea propter umn('s in armis es._"C, quod verutu post('a experti sumus. Humor tntilCn ve1·eor ab Anglis ortum habuit.
Post octo vel novem diermu !Jenignam tr:tclationem tertiu ::llartii vela fhcieutes, et in sinum Caesopeach mn'cli cursum ad Aquilunem defte·
JCimus, ut ftuvio. P<do•,.eadt Jhltiremur. . Sinus Caesopeach latus decem
leucas placide inter littorn labitur, profundus quatuor, quinque, sex et
:septem orygis, piscilms cum fa vet ann us scatens; jucundiorem aquae
lapsum vix iuvenies. Cffiit tamen ftuvio Pntomeach, cui nomen a S.
Gregorio indidimus.
[To be colliillued.J
�GEORGETOWN COLLEGE.
Gr:oRGE·row,; CoLLEGE, D. C.
APRIL
qth, 1872.
An intimation reaches us here that a communication
from this eldest of American Catholic colleges would b;
welcome to your pages. Far be it from us to d~cline acceptance of the courtesy proffered. Our venerableness
docs not make us shrink from contact with those younger
sisters of ours who will claim to be represented side by side
with us in your journal.
·
The ni1mber of our students has not varied much from
year to year since the recent war. .At the breaking out of
that war, the return of many northern students to their
homes, and the departure of almost every southern student
who was old enough to bear arms, reduced the numbers in
attendance to a very low ebb. The subsequent occupation
of a large portion of the buildings by the govenment as a
military hospital, and of the grounds by its soldiers, necessarily kept our numbers within the same narrow limits, and
made us, moreover, unpleasantly f..<miliar with the exigencies of military routine, since we could neither go out nor
in anywhere without the password of the day. \Vith the
restoration of our normal condition, ca~e an increase in
the number of our students, and since the close of the war,
the average attendance, including a few day-scholars, has
been about 160. The catalogue contains usually a list of
over 200 names, but this includes all who have attended for
any portion of the year. Before the war, we accommodated
300. \Vhenever the condition of the Southern people (for
the North is amply provided with Catholic Colleges) shall'
have improved, we may expect a return tp our former
numbers.
~·
�Gtorgdown Co/leg.·.
157
Those who arc ignorant of the facts, might suppose that
our College-since I speak of Catholic Colleges-was re~orted to by Catholics alone, but it is a fact that many Protestant parents prefer to have their children educated in
Catholic institutions, partly for the greater security of their
morals, partly en account of the more thorough, or at least
better grounded l o Jrse of instruction they impart. Hence,
we have all sects represented among our students, not
excluding Jews, of whom we have four.
Probably one
fourth of our students of the present year are non-Catholics.
One of our graduates l f last year was the son of a Lutheran
minister: another of a few years previous is a devout l\Iethodist preacher and has erected a meeting house to officiate
in at the Little falls of the Potomac, close by. None of the
Catholic students hesitates in the least, from motives of human respect, to resort to the confessional in the presence
of all the others, or to present himself at the communion
rail in the morning. About one fourth of all who have
made their first communion go weekly. On festivals, of
course, the number is larger.
l\Iany go to confession
weekly as a matter of self discipline. Among the Protestants who have sojourned with us for a reasonable period, none can leave us to swell the ranks of the enemies
of the church, which might have been the case had they
gathered no knowledge of Catholicism other than that afforded them at home. A few, probably two a year, apply
for Baptism._ In some years, this number has been exceeded. In the time of the annual retreat to the students, the
Protestants are exempted from attendance (though a few request the privilege to be present), but good-humoredly bear
the .. ? of "Black Sheep" and fraternize as cordially with
the Catholics in recreation as if there were no division of
any kind between them. Of five members of Congress
who send their sons or wards here, only one is a Catholic.
All these particulars are so well known that I hesitate to
repeat them; but you may have readers to whom the in-
�ISS
Gcorgcto'Wil Co!!cgt.·.
formation is novel, either because they reside ;~broad and
do not know the country, or, because living in this country,
they have never visited this portion of it. To these, statements of this kind are not without interest.
The retreat was preached in l\Iarch last by F. \Vm. Francis Clarke, one of our graduates of forty years ago, and by
F. \Vm. B. Cleary, and was in every respect a success.
Not a single Catholic failed to comply with his duty.
There are every year among the ,younger. students, and
occasionally among the more advanced, some who have
not made their first communion. All, except the very
youngest, receive suitable instructions, and make their
first communion before the close of the year.
The two sodalities, one for the younger, the other for the
older students, are flourishing, and· embrace, it is believed,
all the Catholic students who have made thc:ir first communion. Each has its grand reception of n ~w members
annually, to which all the solemnity possible is given.
That of the older students has already been held: that of
the younger is shortly to take place; the rec~ption being
deferred longer in this case, on account of the necessity of
giving the young Postulants a prudently long probation.
The conduct of our boys is in general exell!plary. Gross
immorality, or such a violatio-n of the more important rules
of the College as involves expulsion, is extremely rare.
We seldom hear any but favorable accounts of our students of past years, and our graduates, especially, fill places :
of honor and usefulness. We send one' or two subjects a ~ ·
year to the Novitiate.
In conclusion, of the religious statistics appertaining to
our establishment, it might be added that the weekly Catechetical lecture is in the hands of the Professor of Rhetoric,
and that four other Fathers take turns in preaching the
short Sunday sermon to the students.
There is a laudable emulation in the classes, and the "roll
of honor" every month embraces a number who receive
�Georgetown Co/leg<'.
1 59
two and thre~ "tickets" as heads of their respective classes.
On the other hand, the number of those who fall below the
po:nt of toleration in the monthly marks, as read out, rarely exceeds three. As this is a risk equally incurred in the
Classical, l\Iathemati•:al, French, and, perhaps, other classes,
this number may be considered infinitesimally small. The
Philosophers now occupy the rooms formerly appropriated
to Scholastic students. They have changed the name of
the locality to Mt. Aquin.
Our religious family is composed of twelve Fathers, five
Scholastics and nineteen Brothers. Of the former, besides
Fr. Rector and Fr. fllinister (who is also Prefect of Studies),
one teaches Theology to the three who are here engaged
in that study, and is Spiritual Father; the students in Philosophy and Rhetoric absorb three more; Chemistry and
Physics, another: our ex-Professor in these branches, (and,
as ev.::ry body who has been to the College within the last
thirty-five years knows, this means Father Curley,) is still
as devoted as ever to his green-house, so that green-house
and Fr. Curley are correlative terms. Two other Fathers
are head prefects, one on the large, the other on the small
boys' side: another conducts the financial and agricultural
&c:partments (our grounds, including the Villa, embracing
about two hundred acres), and is Pastor of St. Anne's
Church, Tenalley town : the twelfth delves in the library,
and is amanuensis for odd occasions. Two Scholastics are
Prefects and students of Theology ; two others, Prefects
and teachers; the fifth (whilom with you) takes care of his
health and of his progress in Theology. A Scholastic
novice also assists in the Prefectship and in the infirmary.
\Ve have besides three secular teachers and a music teacher
who reside within the College grounds, and a teacher of
drawing and another of Spanish, who come from without.
French and Mathematics are impartially distributed among
the Fathers and teachers mentioned above. German is
taught by one of the Scholastics. A large number of hired
�160
G<orgctorun College.
men and boys, a:nong the former of who:n are some who
ha\·e grown old in the sen·ice of the house, are in regular
employ for in-door and out-door needs.
The se\·erity of the past winter occasioned an unusual
. amount of sickness among our students, and the persistent
inclemency of the weather so greatly restricted out-door
sports, except skating and snow-balling, that doubtless
pure Clllllli lent its aggravating force to the existing cause
of indisposition. But when the first symptoms of spring .
appeared, a general exodus from the infirmary took place
and the brother infirmarian is enabled to di:vote himself
anew to the cultivation of the little garden which the ordinary prevalence of good health left him time to develop in
the grounds fronting on the infirmary: and this little spot is
now radiant with blooming bulbs arid in its setting of polished shells (of the T~·nus J!t:rcmaria and Ostrca Virginiana).
Those who have not visited the College within a few
years past will remember that this space was occupied wi~h
high ground, all of which has since been removed to a level with the small boys' grounds beyond. The latter have
been enlarged and improved at the expense of many thousands of dollars. All the grounds forming our Southern
boundary, a portion of which was recently a series of grassy
hillocks interspersed with rocks and dwarf cedars, are now
terraced and under cultivation, and one looks down upon
the broad Potomac just below, and the busy canal beside it
which transports the coal from the mountains of \Vestern
Maryland to this little fleet of vessels to the left, or carries
it over the great aqueduct which bestrides the river, winds
on past the heights of Arlington and terminates at Alexandria, dimly visible in the distance,-one looks down on
all this, and eastward, over the roofs of \Vashington to the
vast pile of the Capitol beyond, from amidst the varied and
luxuriant planti, vegetables and flowers of our garden.
�Gcorgclo<OJZ College.
The celebration of St. Cecilia's d_ly by the stud;!n~s. was,
;as to its music, a creditable exhibition of the proficiency of
our young instrumental and vocal performers. The ad<lresses on the occasion were exclusively by the Rhetori-cians, and were of far more than ordinary merit. The celebration of\Vashington's birth-day (Feb. 22nd) was, as usual,
:in the hands of the Philodemic Society, who did ample
justice to the occasion and won many praises from the ju<licious audience.
Our young vocalists supply our ch0ir with fair success.
Our instrumentalists are not only able to furnish festive
music, but have expanded into a band, ·which wakes the
echoes of Georgetown. Their diligence in practice is abo\·e
all praise. Th:! cadets have lately reorganized, drill frequently, and will probably go upon a target excursion. The hope
is entertained that base ball will not monopolize this year
as it has done for two or three years, all the muscular ener·
gy of our boys, but that a place will be found for military
exercises as well.
The Law Department will hold its commencement in
June. For a new institution, in its first year, it is doing extremely well. From the high character of its Professors, one
of whom is a Judge of the Supreme Court, the result is not
unexpected. The address on the occasion will be delivered
by U. S. Attorney General Williams. The Medical Department has closed its course for the preYent year, with the
graduation of 23. This institution continues to hold its
high position. The great. numbers who attend the commencement exercises make it necessary always to select the
largest audience room in Washington.
I have thus run over hastily (though not perhaps as succinctly as I ought) the prominent points of interest in connexion with the college, leaving perhaps much unsaid that
ought to find a place, and inserting some things that will
probably entertain nobody but myself, and I must now close
with a short reference to some recent distinguished visitors
of ours:-Yes, close without having said a word about our
�beautiful ... \Valks", the surprise of all who visit them, ancf.
the delight of those who frequent them habitually. But
your faithful recolle~tion will supply this ()mission, and to
all others, it is. easier to say "come and see" than it is to describe.
The visitors I allude to, were Iw:tkura, the chief of the·
Japanese embassy and six of his attendants. They 1\·ere
accompanied by Minister De Long, l\1r. Rice, interpreter.
and by ?~Irs. Admiral Dahlgren and Mrs. De Long, both
Catholic ladies. The first visit was to the library, where
many Japanese and Chinese books, or works bearing upon
the history of Japan were exhibited. Among the latter.
Charlevoix's History attracted especial attention, and the
title was duly noted, that a copy might be procured. After
quite a stay here, they visited the museum, which was carefully inspected. The only one of the Japanese who spoke
English recognized and called by name the ?I'Iastodon, the
great bone of which you will remember.
Hence they proceeded to the C1binet, and here, as els~­
where, were greatly interested and asked many questions.
They seem not to have seen an Electrical Machine before.
and I wakura and all the rest, with the greatest good nature
formed a ring to receive shocks from this as well as from
the hand battery. An exhibition of the Solar :\licroscope
was also given. After being conducted over other portions
of the house, and admiring the magnificent view from the
upper windows, the whole party were invited to a collation.
As they were proceeding to tht;ir carriages, after a stay of
about two hours, the cadets drew up in line before them,
presented arms, and requested one of the students to address the visitors, which was done by J. E. Washington in
complimentary terms, and Iwakura replied courteously.
The address of the boys, of course, concluded with the request that the Japanese prince would procure them a holiday for the remainder of the day, which F. Early kindly assented to, and the visitors drove away, followed by enthusiastic cheers. They next called at the Visitation Academy
I
�'Coll(r;c of Bclm.
wl1ere tl1ey made as long a visit as they had made with us
-<<nd seemed equally delighted. The Japanese were dressed
:in American style. lwakura presents the appearance of a
man of firmness and dignity. Mr. De Long states that the
persecution of Christians attributed to I wakura did not take
place as described, or was political in character.
FOUNDATION OF THE COLLEGE OF BELEN
AT HAVANA.
The Royal College of Belen (Bctlt!clzcm) in the city of
, Havana traces back its origin to beginnings which, though
unpr~tending in th..:msehres, were, nevertheless, not unattended by such difficulties as are wont to embarrass undertakings of some moment. As the Spanish Government was ·
anxious to lay firm and solid foundations for the education
of youth in its possessions beyond the seas, and as for a
long time back it had been contemplating the erection of a
central college in the Island of Cuba, under the title of
Royal College of Havana, after mature deliberation it resolved to carry out so praiseworthy a design, and to confide
the Institvtion to the charge of the Society, which had
been banished from the kingdom since 1835. In furtherance of this plan, P. Domingo Olascoaga, who was afterwards appointed Provincial, set out from Belgium for Spain
in I 8 5 I, and thanks to his zeal and activity, it came to pass
after a short time, that the Government of Her Majesty
threw open the gates of the Peninsula to the Society,
founded at Loyola a mission-house and novitiate, and
�charged itself with the support of thirty novic~s who· \\·ou~cl
furnish subjects for the houses to be founded in the colonies.
At that time the ~Io;t Excellen~ Sr. D. Fran:isco Fleix
y Solans was Bishop of Havan:t, and at his solic:tations, th:.:.first three subjects whom th~ Socie:y sent to Cuba. embarked for that Island. The_.;e were F. B.:trtoio:ne l\I unar.
Superior, F. Cipriano Sevillano, and lk. l\!anuel Rubia.
On their arrival at the port of Havana, April 29, 1 ~53. they
were welcomed with every mark of esteem by the civil and
military authorities, as \\'ell as by the principal inhabitants,
but especially by the Rt. Rev. Bishop, in whom they ever
found a most tender father and gen~rous protector.
~Tany were those who claimed the honor, as they called
it, of showing hospitality to the Fathers; but they yielded
to the entreaties .of D. Bonif<tcio Quintin de Vilbescusa,
Re,:tor of the Collegiate Seminary of San Carlos, who had
prepared accommodations for them. Several reasons impelled the Fathers to prefer this dwelling-place; but the
chief one was that this very Seminary had been a house,
founded by the old Society, and possessed by it for more
than fifty years, under the title of St. Ignatius' College.
Thus by a special and loving disposition of Divine Providence, it was brought about that after nearly a century of
interruption, the Fathers of tl~e Society commenced their
apostolic labors in the same church and residence, which
had witnessed the glorious toils of our forefathers in religion.
After a few days had gone by, as it did not seen prudent ...
to detain the Fathers in Havana, exposed to the dangers of
yellow fever during the sultry heats of summer, they were
sent by the Bishop to the beautiful country seat of San Antonio de los Banos, twenty-three miles distant from the
Capital, and one of the most healthy and picturesque spots
on the Island. Here they remained for five months, during
which time they devoted themselves to preaching, hearing
confessions, preparing the children for first confession and
communion; and then terminated their stay at the villa
�w:th a nin = days mission, an exercise then almost forgotten
in tho;e r~gions, and from which they gathered most
abundant fruits.
l'{~anwh.le, excavations were being made for the erection
of the new college at Havana, in the field called Penalvar.
The F.tth~rs having received timely notice from His Excliency, the Captain General, Don Valentin Canedo, pre~;ented themseh·es anew in the city, on the roth of October,
of the same year, 1853· This was the day appointed for
bying the first stone ; the solemnity took place in presence
of the authorities, and of the most prominent inhabitants:
there was besides a vast assemblage of people, and all
were filled with joy ~:m beholding the reestablishment of
the Society in their midst. The work then went on with
great speed, so that at the end of a few days, three or. four
feet of solid masonry arose above the deep foundations ;
but it was not carried on with equal earnestness after this,
and when a few months had gone by, the work was entirely suspended, under the pretext that it would' cost too
much to carry out the original plan.
As the hot season was now over, the Fathers established
themselves permanently in Havana. They occupied in the
Calle de las Virtudes a modest dwelling house, rented and
furnished at the expense of the Government. They applied
themselves to the labors of the ministry and to the spiritual
direction of the students in the Episcopal Seminary, and
patiently awaited the decision of the authorities in regard
to the College. Deterred by the obstacles encountered in
the prosecution of the work which had been undertaken, the
Government renewed a proposition which had previously
been made, to open the classes in the old Convent of Mercy:
but the Fathers, who already understood the wants and the
desires of the Cuban people, firmly declined to accept the
offer. And it was not without good reasons. For, in the
first place, this building was in so ruinous a state, and the
rooms were sci few, narrow, low and damp, that it was use-
�166
Co/1,-g,· of Bdm.
less to think of lodging there the staff that would be required for a College. In the second place, the house was
tenanted by some venerable old men, sun·ivors of the ancient community of the Order of Mercy, who had no <jesin;
for any thing else in this world, except to end their days,
and to be buried in the peace of the just, beneath the shadows of the sanctuary which had witnessed their birth in the
religious life; ami it is clear, that it was neither just nor becoming to deprive them of this last and natural consolation,
by wresting away from them this cherished home. Finally,·
the people of Havana, who justly valued the merits of these
holy religious, and who as yet did not know the Fath~r5 uf
the Society, would have become ill-affected towards the
College, were it established in the. l\Iercy Convent, to the
prejudice of the ancient and lawfu'J.-occupants. These and
other weighty reasons the Fathers laid before H :!r :\hjesty's
Government, which deemed it proper to take thc:m into consideration.
But in spite of the favorable attitude of the Government
at :Madrid, it is very probable that matters would ha\·e remained at a stand-still, had not the reply of the Cortes
coincided with the appointment of a new Captain General,
the Marquis de Ia Pezuela. This nobleman reached Havana towards the end of tl1e same year, 1853, and on his
arrival, the aspect of things changed on all sides. He.
forthwith set enquiries on foot so as to find out which of
the public buildings could be most conveniently trans-~:
formed into a good college; and as the Fathers showed a
preference for the Convent of Our Lady of Bethlehem, in
which Gen. Segundo Cabo with a battalion of troop~ was
then quartered, he issued a command for the immediate
cession of a portion of the building to the Fathers, promising to place the whole of it at their disposal, as soon as
accommodations could be provided elsewhere for the soldiers who were then. stationed at Belen. In this manner
every obstacle was overcome, and thus the Society entered
�Colk!Jt'
if
Belm.
into po,;;session of the spacious, beautiful and solid building
of .V11cstm Smom de Bdm, at present a Royal College for
Secondary Instruction.
The year 18 54 began under these favorable auspices.
On the 17th of January, FF . .:\lunar and Sevillano, and Br.
Rubia removed to th.:: unoccupied portion of the building,
along with FF. Jose Cotanilla and Nicasio Eguilioz lately
arrived from Guatemala.
Hereupon, so· urgent were the requests of many parents,
that it was necessary to open several classes without delay,
and to admit some pupils as day-scholars, until such time
as they and other students could be transferred to the class
of boarders, after such alterations had been effected as were
required for carrying out the plan of studies.
As the intention was to found in the Convent of Belen a
complete system of secondary instruction, both in the elementary and higher branches, and to raise the standard of
studies step by step up to the grade of those systems which
prevail in the European schools of highest repute, and to
establish a College that would reflect honor on the Island
of Cuba, and which might vie with any houses of instruction whether at home or abroad, it was indispensable to enlarge the capacity of the building to the utmost of its
powers, ana to introduce all the improvements of which it
happened to be susceptible. Various changes had to be
made in its internal arrangements ; rooms had to be widened; vigilance, good order and discipline had to be facilitated by giving more openness to some of the yards and
passages, and by constructing commodious and spacious
dormitories. All these improvements were brought in as
scion as the Convent was evacuated by the military troop
which had been holding it. The Fathers took possession
of the whole edifice on the 10th of August, 1854· Before
this time, at the end of May of the same year, they had
been put in charge of the Church of the Convent, which·
till then had been under the direction of an ex-cloistered
�168
College (Jf Bdm.
religious congregation, to who:n anoth.::r Ch~rch and r~si­
dence not far from Belen were now as.;igncd.
At this point, we cannot refrain from off.::r:ng a te.,timony
of our most affectionate gratitude to the nvble {llarqui,; d.::
la Pezuela, from whom the Society received such great
marks of esteem, and who, in so prov:d~nti;t\ a m;uu.::r, ::tssumed the Government of the Island of Cuba, at a time
,,·hen his full support and protection were esscn~i,tl for the
College of Belen. The Society of Jesus and the who!..:
Island will be forever grateful to this worthy gentkman
and gallant soldier, who, after ovacoming innumerable obstacles, brought it to pass dur:ng his short term of uffic::,
that so magnificent an education.1! establishment, should be
thrown open to the Cuban youth.
It also seems opportune here,
an hi.~tor:cal r..:me:ubrance and as a testimony of love for our brethren, to gi,·e
some brief account of what the Convent of Belen was, of
its foundation and of the Religious of Bethlehem who bequeathed to us so splendid a residence.
This edifice so firmly built, so vast in its proportions, was
erected towards the end of the seventeenth century by
that renowned benefactor of mankind, D. Juan Francisco
de Carvallo, who died Jan. 16th, 1718. It was meant to be
a hospital for convalescents,-under the patronage and protection of Our Lady of Bethlehem and of St. James. The
East wing of the building, which is entirely of cut ston<>, is
divided off into immense, vaulted halls; it has besides sev-...
eral inner court-yards surrounded by galleries and arches,
an eleg·ant cloister, and three stairways of great artistic
merit. That all might admire, and that the intelligent might
understand, the structure and disposition of these staircases,
and of a plain stone arch which is above the porch, the
Corps of Royal Engineers gave orders that the plaster
which covered them should be removed, and forbade that
they should ever in future be covered up. This is attested
by a marble tablet let into one of the arches. The Church
which fronts eastward terminates the structure on the north-
as
�Colleg-e of.lJckn.
em side.
It is Greco-Romanesque in style, with a single
nave in the form of a Latin cross, and although not very
1arge, still it is finely finished with heavy pointed arches,
and has a majestic and elegant cupola,-the whole being
made of very good stone. Its construction dates from 1687,
:and is due to tl1e illustrious bishup of Cuba, Dr. D. Diego
Evelino de .Cumpostella, who -dedicated it to St. James of
Alcala, as is testified by two statues of this Saint, one of
stone on the second story of the front, and another finely
<:arved in wood, whid1 is venerated at tbe high altar. The
date of erection and the founder's name are marked by the
following inscriptio~ above the sacristy door:HANC . BASILICAI\I
IN . EXTREMO . CIVITATIS . POSITAM
A . FUNDAMENTIS . EREXIT
DIDACUS . EVELINUS . DE . COMFOSTELLA
ANNO. DNI . l\l:I)CLXXXVIi
Beneath the large cl1apel or presbyterium is the Pantheon
around the sides of which are ranged tl1e last resting places
()f the Bethlehemite Brethren, and in the middle fronting
the altar rises a modest but neatly carved sarcophagus in
which repose the remains of the chief patron of the house,
D. Juan Francisco de Carvallo.
For our own Society this beautiful church is not wanting
in sweet memories which make it still more worthy of our
love and veneration. Here rest the ashes of nine of our
ancient brothers in religion, who in their passage through
Havana, as they were proceeding to Europe from different
provinces of America, on the general expulsion from all
the dominions of Spain in the time of King Charles III.,
were received and ministered to in the Hospital of Ntra.
Sra. de Belen and of San Diego, and thence passed to a
better life: Their names are written on a tablet, which in
�Co!!cge of Bdcrr.
fj(]
remembrance of Our Brethren and for our example u;as Inserted in one of the walls of the temple.
.-f. (.\P.} !L
CINERIBUS
NOVE~I
A~TO~II.
. E . SOCIETATE . JESU. SODALIUJI
CEPED.-\. FRANCISCI. IGUARRATEGlJI
JOSEPH!. ::\Il.J~OS. l\1ARTINI. ALCOCER
~IICHAELIS. BENJU::\IEA. FRA~CISCI. L\RRET A
SACERDOTUi\I
JOSEPH! . BARROTE . FRA}i:CISCI . VILLAR
A.NTO.NII.ORREZ
SACERDOTJI. EXPERTU::\1
QUI. EXEUNTE. AN. ?dDCCLXVII
EX . DIVERSIS . AMERICA£ . l'LAGIS
CUM . SOCIIS . EXULANTES
~'lATURIOREl\1. ~T.
FELICIOREl\1
AERUMNOSAE. PEREGRINATIONIS. EXITUM
INVIDENDA . l\IORTE . OBIERUNT
ET . HEIC . A . BETHLEMITICI . ORDINIS
FRATRIBUS
HONORIFIC£ . CONDIT! . SUNT
SOCIETAS. JESU POST. LXXXVI. ANNOS
IN. SODALIUM. BENE. MERITORUM
SEPULCHRUM . SUCCEDENS
AD. POSTERITATIS. MEMORIAM
PONENDUM . CURA VIT
�Collq;c of Edm.
171
""N o't less wortl1y of special mention is the Venerable
Vather, Manuel del Rincon, Superior of the Oratory of St.
"Philip Neri at Havana, who was a man remarkable alike
for virtue and learning, enriched during life witl1 wondrous
gifts of God, and after death renowned for prodigies; our
'Church has the honor of possessing his body, which is
buried at the foot of St. Anthony's altar. This venerable
:servant of God did not belong to the Betl1lehemite community, but being persecuted and calumniated by envious
men wl1en there was question of elevating him to 'the episcopal see of Santiago de Cuba, he was by royal orders sent
as a prisoner to the Convent of Belen. There, after endur~
ing many sore afflictions with heroic patience and magnanimity, after giving striking proofs of virtue and sanctity, he
was overtaken by death, whilst waiting for the decision in
the suit which his enemies had preferred against him before
the Supreme Council of Castile. The case was decided in
favor of Father Rincon, but it was then too late. In
atonement for whatever obloquy might chance to rest upon
J1is memory on account of the imprisonment, the Council
mdered that his funeral obsequies should be celebrated with
the most imposing display, and at the public expense, that
all the Government officials should honor them by their
presence, and that a monument should be erected to his
memory in the church of Belen.
Directing now our attention to the Bethlehemite Religious for whom the building which the Society now possesses was originally erected, we know that they remained
in it until 1845, constantly devoted to the care of the sick
and the gratuitous instruction of youth. In the abovementioned year, their number having become greatly reduced, the Community was dissolved, and the few remainin~
members were thenceforward pensioned by the State.
There is now but one survivor of those who formerly belonged to this Com·ent; five have died since 1853, and the
funeral ceremonies of all these took place in our Church,
. in accordance with a resolution of the Fathers who took
�possession of the Colle;;e. Ot rs always took gn:at rains to
visit them frequently and help them in sickness; they on
their part always came with pleasure to the College, being
delighted that it had been granted to the Society, instead of
being converted to profane uses, or perhaps destroyed.
The Founder of the :\lendicant Order of the Bethlehemites was the Venerable Pedro de Bethencourt, who was born
:\Iay 21st, 1626, at Villaflor, a town of the Island of Teneriffe, and he established his first house in the ancient city of
Guatemala, to which place he came in 1650. In 1655, having assumed the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis, he
hired a small house in a retired quarter of the city, and dedicated himself to the teaching of children, instructing them
chiefly in the Christi<>n Doctrine. Shortly afterwards, the
owner of the house having m'lde liim a gift of it, he converted it into a hospital for the poor, and built alongside of
it an infirmary of boards, thatched with straw, so that he
might be able to receive a greater number of the destitute
and needy. He himself waited on them in their sickness,
and allowed them to want for nothing, as he collected plentiful alms to supply all their necessities.
As the reputation of Bethencourt gradually ~pread, the
civil and ecclesiastical authorities looked favorably upon
his enterprise, charitable pe;sons aided him with their
means, and enabled him to erect a large hospital, at the
building of which he labored with his own hands along
with the workmen. A stately edifice quickly arose, with ..•
'vards, cloister and oratory, and after it was completed,
• Pedro admitted some compani9ns who had offered themselves, and formed with them the B~thlehemite Congregation, so called from the name of the hospital which was
dedicated to Our Lady of Bethlehem. The care of the sick
did not make Pedro forget the instruction of children, for
he founded a school for them in the hospital. After his
death, which happened in 1667, the constitutions drawn up
by the founder were adopted by the congregation, some
slight modifications being introduced by his immediate sue-
�Col!tg: of Bdm.
173
cessor. Houses of the same' institute for female religious
w-:re afterwards established in order to take care of sick
wo:nen. These Hospitallers of Bethlehem subsequently
spread through Mexico and Peru, and in conformity with
L1 ~ founder's instructions, a school for boys was established
in every hospital. The Institute received the confirmation
of King Charles II., and was approved by Pope Innocent
XI., in a Bull dated March 26, r687, which placed it under
the rule of St. Augustine.
Clement XI., in r 707, granted to it all the privileges of
the Mendicant Orders. These religious added to the three
essential vows a fourth, by which they bound themselves to
the care of the sick, and also to the instruction of children
in catechism, reading, writing and arithmetic.
There is a large oil painting which fills the entire front
,,·all of the choir in our church of Belen, in which are depicted these duties of the Bethlehemites; namely to teach
youth, to wait upon the sick, to transport them on their
shoulders to the Convent Hospital, and the religious women are seen fulfilling the same duties towards girls and the
sick of their own sex.
Although in the beginning, they employed the services
of secular priests, they afterwards obtained faculties to have
two priests of religious orders attached to each convent, and
three priests as chaplains for each of the mother-houses at
Guatemala, Mexico, Havana and Buenos Ayres. In these
four houses the novices were formed, the principal house
always being that of Guatemala, as it ranked first of the Order in time of foundation. In the kingdom of Mexico, or
New Spain, they had ten houses, and seventeen in Peru;
and, although attempts were made to plant the order at
Madrid and at Rome, still the institute never passed beyond
· the limits of America.
------~-~--------
�LETTER FRO.M ST. LOUIS.
ST. Lours, Mo., Ju:-;-E 8th, r8;2.
REV. FATHER IX CHRIST;
The enclosed letter was written by the late Dr. l\I. L.
Linton, a few days before his death, with a view to lea\·e
on record his estimate of the Society. The Doctor was a
convert to our faith, and was one of the most prominent
Catholic laymen of our city. fie had been for twentyeight years attending physician of tl1e St. Louis University,
and during that period he had become intimately acquainted
with nearly all the members of the ::\Iissouri Province. He
died in the peace of the Lord on the first day of June. The
foilowing extracts from the editorial notices of some of our
leading journals, show how much he was esteemed by his
fellow citizens :
"By a very large circle of friends and acquaintances the
announcement of the death SJf Dr. M. L. Linton will be read
with surprise and sincere regret. For thirty years a resident of our city, he was thoroughly identified with its interests, its growth and its prosperity. A prominent physician in active practice, a medical professor, and at times~-·.
taking an active part in political matters, Dr. Linton was
constantly thrown in contact with great multitudes of people, and there were but few men in the city more extensively known than was the subject of this sketch."
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"This eminent mat;t was the son of a Methodist preacher.
His father died a few years since in Kentucky. Having to
be the artificer of his own fortune, he left home, and went
to Springfield, Kentucky. There after some time he be-
�Letter frum St. Louis.
175
ome a teacher, and got acquainted with an Irish gentleman, Dr. Poling.
Receiving instructions from him he became a good classical scholar, and got also his first inclin 1tions to Catholicity. The Doctor perceiving that young
Linton was a youth of talent and capacity, enabled him
to prosecute his studies in medicine, so that he got after a
time, a Diploma from Transylvania University, Lexington,
Ky. After a few years practice, aided by his father-in-law
-the Hon. Judge Booker, Springfield-Doctor Linton went
to Paris, and there made himself an adept in his profession.
"About this time he became a Catholic, which provoked
a preacher in Springfield, the Rev. Robert Grundy to come
out in a pamphlet against him. Linton replied with much
ability, wh;ch called forth, a second pamphlet; and this led
to a rejo;nder which satisfied the public that Grundy had
met more than his match in learning and ability. \Ve may
add, that the Doctor signalized himself subsequently on
several occasions in the same line.
"In I 842, induced by the late Doctor Prather, he removed
to St. Louis and became Medical Professor to the St. Louis
University. For nearly thirty years Dr. Linton was visiting Physician at the University, and was in the best practice
in the city whilst health remained.
"Though the Doctor knew what it was to want money in
his youth, yet the nobility of his soul was such, that to the
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rich he was moderate in his charges, and the working man
he treated gratuitously. \Ve lately heard of a patient of
his who had been treated successfully, and though an economist, yet thought that his Doctor being eminent would
have a heavy charge against him, and therefore took a good
round sum to meet it. He asked the Doctor's demand.
The latter, looking at him, inquired whether he was not
a working man. The patient said he was. "Very well,"
said the Doctor, "when I want the money I shall send to
you for it," asking however neither his name nor. address
\Vho can wonder, then, that crowds attended his obse-
�Letter from St. Louis.
quies at St. Francis Xavier's, to offer up pray~rs for his eternal rest, and that "troops of friends" folio\\ ed the rema:ns
to the grave."
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"During his residence in St. Louis, Dr. Linton was also
engaged in the active practice of his profession, in which
he had marked success. As a teacher he was distinguished
for faithfulness and ability, and as a practitioner for consci. entiousness and great professional skill.
"He was a man of decided opinions and strong com·ictions, and ever maintained them \\·ith boldness and firmness,
but always with courtesy. He wrote largely on professional and other subjects, and was no mean poet when he
chose to unbend himself in that· way. He published a
work on pathology, which is remarked for its accuracy and
originality.
"\Vhile Dr. Linton was master of the learning of his own
profession, he still had time to devote to the study of general literature, politics and religion, in all of which he had
matured views and opinions. He avoided any public participation in affairs of politics or State, except in great
emergencies ; but on one or two extraordinary occasions
when forced into the public service, the State profited
greatly by his ability and large-hearted patriotism. At the
time of his decease, he was in the sixty-fifth year of his
age. He leaves a widow and six sons and daughters to
mourn his loss."
"A great and good man has fallen. Our friend of a
quarter of a century is dead. It has been the writer's
pride that he had such a friend ; a friend with a great head
and a great heart, a noble Christian friend, a generous, selfsacrificing, devoted friend. \Vho does not know Dr. Linton
in this great city? His name has been heard throughout
the valley; the productions of his pen have been read and
. praised across the ocean. He was a philosopher and a
poet.
�l.,. ..
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Dr. Linton ,,·as an invalid for forty years; his body
mO\·ed slowly and frequently required a long rest; his
mind \\·as restless, resistless, quick, vigorous and brilliant;
l1is \\·it was sharp and his repartee unrivalled. Dr. Linton's
limited early advantages were only known to the associates
of his youth.
l1ad by the force of intellect and untiring mental industry become a polished sc1wlar, learned in
the ancient and modern languages. It is unnecessary to
:refa to his distinction as a physician and professor; thousands of the rising and estab1ished medical men of the coun·
try are daily sounding his praises, and his name must pass
beyond the present generation."
He
REsOLUTIOXs
oF
THE
ST.
Loms
l\IEDICAL
SociETY:
"The members of the St. Louis l\Iedical Society, and of
the medical profession of the city, having been called to·
gether to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of their
late distinguished and honored fellow-member, Dr. l\1. L. ·
Linton, whose death is justly regarded as a public, not less
than a professional loss:-Therefore be it resolved:
I.
That in Dr. l\f. L. Linton \Ve acknowledge a man of
high intellectual and moral endowments. That in the
greatness of his intellect he was ever enabled to discern
the path of truth, and in his firmness of purpose to avoid
the devious ways which lead to error.
2.
That over his life there shone the truly Christian
spirit, which humbled all pretensions and pervaded him
with the highest of all the virtues, charity.
3· That we will ever hold his memory dear and exalt
his image to the esteem and affection of the profession.
4· That we tender our sincere sympathies to the £>mily
of the deceased in this their great bereavement, and as a
mark of our respect will attend his funeral in a body.
s. That a copy of these resolutions be enclosed to the
£.1mily, and also that they be spread on the records of the
�Letter jl-om .St. Lo::is.
St. Louis ~Iedical Society, and be published m the daify
papers and medical journa.ls of this city."
The following is the letter above referred to:
~T.
Lm.as, :\Io. :.L.-..v qth, 187::!.
DEAR FATHER O'NEIL:
I wish to say a few things to the Jesuit Fathers of St.
Louis. Since I entered their hosjJitable doors thirty years
ago up to the present hour, 1 have been the recipient of.
their kindness and benefactions. I cannot express my gratitude and therefore shall not attempt it ; I wish merely to
record it. If Almighty God has an heroic and faithful
vanguard in the church militant, it is most surely constituted by the Society of Jesus. The"more I think about this
organization, the more I am convinced that there is something miraculous about it. Contemplate the life of St. Francis Xavier whose canonized relics are religiously guarded
at Goa, who wrought more miracles than the adored manGod Hirr.self and all His Apostles.* This assertion was
made by one of l\Ir. Seward's party in their recent visit to
the shrine of the Saint, and it is the general belief in that
part of India of those of all creeds. This Order checked.
hurled back and forever crippled the confident and advancing hordes of Protestantism. A. l\1. D. G. \\'ho invented this motto, I should like to know?- The grandest
four words, the greatest thought that mortal language.
affords. They embrace Heaven and Earth, they apply
equally to the most august Hierarchs in the presence of
God, and the humblest denizen of our globe,-they include
what is sublimest in eloquence and song, they indicate
what is holiest, worthiest and best in eternity as well as in
* '\Ve suppose, the writer meant this as an expression of the traditionary belief, to which he refers in the next sentence. It is in this sense
that we accept the statement.
EDITOR w. L.
�.
Lclter from St. Louis.
1/9
time. Please do not call this raz•ing; for if it be, then I
ha\·e been a lunatic without lucid intervals for several years.
I am very thankful to God for my long acquaintance-!
may say my intimate association with the Jesuit Fathers.
T-.Iost of them wlwm I first knew, have pr~ceded me to
the gra\·e-tho' much younger than I am now. How often
do I recall and gaze upon their familiar faces, and ask my~
.self why such men should die so soon. I believe in the
Catholic Church-every article of her creed from the divini~
ty of Christ to the infallibility of the Pope. I want a firm
fitith now as the time for my going hence approaches ; I beg
of all the Jesuit Fathers, and the Brothers too, an occasional
prayer. If I live, I shall go to my country residence this
week; and I never expect to leave It, until I am removed to
another residence, which I have provided for myself and
family near the foot of the cross in Calvary. And now, my
dear Fathers and friends, with a heart full of gratitude, yea,
<leep and abiding love for you all, I bid you adieu.
M. L. LINTON.
The fol!ti'Zl'ing lines were written b)' !tim on another occasion:
THE .JESUITS.
DEDICATED TO FATHER DE S)IET.
In e\·ery clime beneath the sun,
Toil their heroic bandsThey brave alike the stormy seas
And wild barbarian lands;
Their tents are spread 'mid arctic snows,
And burning tropic sands.
They mingle with the savage throng;
They build the halls of lore ;
Their temples to the Living God
Are seen on every shore ;
They teach and guide the kings of men,
They teach and guide the poor.
�r8o
Lcttcrfhmz St. Lo:tiJ·;
All truth, all scimce is thl'ir tliem~:-­
'IVhatever man can know.
Tht•y ~can the Ftarry l:.ean•ns a hove·
Ami enorything l1elow.
To bring to God a lilllen race
Earth's pleasures they for<';;n.
They H'ek no honors fi·om the worhlEnough that their rccm-tl
Is tillt'tl with brood works done for m:m:
They look for their rrward,
Only as tirek~s champion" of
The glory of the Lord.
Talk of your hertws of nn hour,
Your men of science namcy our Sages, Poets, Orat~!·s
:May human homage claimBut only God's true ~ervants rise
To everlasting Fame.
LINTO~.
�FATHER \\'ENINGER ON THE PACIFI~ COAST.
REV . .\:\D VERY DE.\R FATHER:
P. C.
Having devoted myself, in a particular manner, to the
spiritual interests of the Germans all over the United States,
I had long cherished a wish to extend the sphere of my
labors to the western shores. But I was obliged to defer
the execution of this project from year to year, because the
harvest was not yet ripe for the reaper's sickle. I did not
wish to descend into the burrows and caverns of the goldseeker, where but little notice would have been taken of
the missionary and his work. The image of the Crucified
would h:we seemed strangely out of place in those underground temples of mammon. I concluded, therefore, to
wait until the gold fever would abate somewhat, and congregations would be formed, to which I might give a mission in forma.
The auspicious moment arrived at last. Hardly had the
Pacific Railway been opened, when I was beset with invitations from all sides to come at once to California. The request of the Most Rev. Archbishop Alemany, in particular,
was very pressing. But just then new obstacles of another
kind arose.
It was the year r869. The Vatican Council was about
to open its first memorable sessions, already so fruitful in
mighty results. I had anticipated the movement in favor
of Papal Infallibility, and was intensely busy preparing
three batteries for the ensuing campaign. I had been making ready to publish a work on that question in three different languages in America, Switzerland and France. \Vishing to spread it broadcast over the globe, I had made a
�I
82
Fr. TTI:llillgcr Oll tltc Plll"ijic Co.zst.
present of a copy to each one of the Anglican Bisho(JS, and
I was just then holding a correspondence, by the Atlantic
cable, with the Abbe Bcllet, to make arrangements for th•:
French edition. Under such circumstances, it seen:ed adYisable not to embark in new enterprises far away and to
separate myself still more from Europe, by withdrawing to
the farthest extremity of the American continent. l was
not a little perplexed what course to take. I-Iapp:Iy I was
a religious; what reasoning could not do, the word of my
superior did at once. Father Provincial, to whom I referred
the matter, cut the Gordian knot. "Go to California"" was
his advice. il..nd go I did\.. without any detriment to my activity in Germany and France. Thanks to the electric \\·ires
and to the magic po\\·er of steam, which have annihilated
time and space, I did my share of fighting for th<.~ cause of
Christ and of His Vicar even on the other side of the ocean,
and kept up a constant fire, until the battle was won and
the foe lay gnashing his teeth in harmless fury.
But how was I to go ?-by sea or by land? Such alarming accounts were afloat concerning the pretended perils of
the ne\\' inland route, that it looked at least akin to rashness to risk one's life upon it. It was asserted that even
engineers had refused their services at a salary of $500. o::>
a month, and that the road was already covered with all
sorts of fragments. Moreover, if an accident should occur,
whence was relief to come in those homeleso regions far beyond the Ultima Thule of \Vestern civilization? For a
thousand miles the road is laid over untenanted plains, in
the arid sands of the desert or through the endless passes of
the Rocky Mountains. Again I applied to Father Provincial, to learn what way I was to go. His answer was: "By
Rail". There was a mysterious charm in these words that
smoothed every difficulty away. I had to go to San Francisco, without delay and by Rail.
.
I started from Cincinnati early in July; but I did not
travel through the whole length of the road at once. I halted to say l\Iass every day until we reached Omaha. Tor-
I
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�Fr. ll·ming:r o;z tile Pacific Cl)(lsf.
I
83
rents of rain \\·ere meam\·hile falling; the trains were behind,
and the rumor prevailed that the Railroad track had been
greatly damaged and partly washed away. Eve11 the priests
at the Cathedral advised me not to expose my life, but to
wait for better weather. I replied, that I was expected in
.San Francisco, that nobody could tell \\·hen the rain would
cc:ase, and that, if others could run a little risk for the sake
of temporal gain, 1 could afford to do as much for higher
motiv-::s. F;nally, I add.::d je;tingly that, after all, I had
rather go to heaven by steam, than take a canal boat and
gee there too late. I have not regretted the step I then took.
For some hundred miles we travelled slowly and almost
fdt our way ; but farther west the weather and the road
gradually became better-much better than I had anticipated. After we had passed the damaged places, the journey
was really delightful. I had not, indeed, credited all the
exaggerated reports of dangers, evidently fabricated by
party spirit, jealousy and hatred; yet I certainly could never
have believed that the new road would be as smooth as if
it had been used for years.
For six hundred miles west of Omaha you are sped along
over the smoothest prairies, boundless as the waters of the
ocean. Nothing but the green sward below, and the blue
sky above, ever meets your gaze; it is like travelling on a
sea of grass. At the same time the ground is slowly rising,
until the cars have reached an elevation of well nigh eight
thousand feet above the level of the sea. Then, in the dim,
hazy d:st:mce, the Rocky :\fountains rise into view, and, like
so many little sand-hills, serve to diversify the monotony of
the interminable table-lands. As you advance, they unfold
their giant forms before you in their full proportion, and
even in July shroud their snow-capped summits in the
clouds. It was the first time I had seen snow-peaks since I
left the Tyrol, twenty-three years ago. I like the sight of
mountains; they are such a beautiful emblem of firmness,
grandeur and contemplative quiet.
�The farther we rolled on, the better I understood ho,,;
the Pacific Rail road could ha,·c be~n built in so short a
time. All the ground from Omaha to the Sierra l\ e\·ada
seems to have been laid out by the hand of nature itself for
the purpose. There is scarcely a creek or run to· crossall i,-, smooth and level as a threshing-floor. \\"here the
mountain ranges begin to traverse the prairies, ra,·ines always open at the proper places to allow the road to pass.
E\·en the great \\'estern Desert presents no barrier to the
enterprise of thrifty man. This blighted spot of earth extends mainly from Salt Lake for many hundred miles tu
the west\\·ard. The soil is alkaline, and the pro:;pcct sad
and cheerless in the extreme. The sterile monotony is interrupted only for a \\·hile as you pass Utah, where the
l\Iormons have changed the face of the earth, and forced
chary nature to pay an um\·illing tribute to their industry.
Like the children of the earth generally, they enjoy here
below the blessings of Esau-the £.tt of the Iand-in \\·hich
they must soon be buried with all their gro,·elling desires
and sensual gratifications. Poo:-, blinded, fanatical men!
How the Catholic heart feels and bleeds for them! 1\evertheless, I had the consolation of receiving some ~I ormons,
who reside in California, into the pale of Holy Church.
On the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada there are some
highly picturesque scenes, and an "observation-car" is attached to the train, for the convenience of such as love to
study nature in all its weird, fantastic grandeur. They certainly have an occasion to gratify this passion to the full.
Here solid ledges of stone-nature's own matchless architecture-tower aloft in massive strength, like columns that
support the bhie canopy above; there a solitary and apparently detached rock stands beetling in chill:ng sublimity
above the rest, and seems ready at every instant to topple
down from its untenable position and crush the p:1s,;in;; cars
below. But, until now, no such accident has been so much
as heard o( Many other interesting objects arrest the trav-
�Fr. TVi:ning,.,. on tltc P,1cijic Coast.
r8j
eller's attention as he d:1rts along heedless of time and d:stance. At one time, he learns that he is crossing the mer·
idian which di\·ides the western continent in.twain, and that
he is midway between the Atlantic and the Pacific; at an·
other time, he is shown an enormous tree with the inscrip·
tion-" rooo miles from Omaha."
I have already mentioned that, even wherethe mountains
cross the plains, passes always open, through which the
tracks are laid. The only exception east of California is at
the so-called "Devil's Gate", where bridges had to be sus·
pended on high, closely lined by mountain-cliffs.. But, when
once you reach the land of gold, nature seems to say to
man "So far, and no farther, shalt thou go." Yet man, conscious of his genius and his strength, when first he heard
these defiant accents, only smiled and by his actions replied:
"I shall, I will, I must go through." He addressed himself
resolutely to his task, and already has he accomplished it.
I like this untiring energy, this indomitable courage,
which stops short of no labor, which is appalled by no
difficulty. It is a refreshing thought that, even in this effeminate age of ours, men can be found to start and carry
out an enterprise so arduous and heroic as the laying of
the Atlantic Cable or the crossing of the Sierra Nevada by
cars. It is a powerful sermon to me; for it proves what
man <::an do, if he is only in earnest. vVhat wonders we
might ourselves achieve, if we did half as much for God, as
worldlings do for pleasur~. money and renown ! In this respect we may learn many a useful lesson from the children
of men, and say to ourselves when we consider their deeds,
as St. Augustin did when he meditated on the lives of the
Saints: "Potuerunt hi et h;e; cur non ego?" They could
do it for e·arth, and why should not I for heaven? They
could do it for evil, and why should not I for good? They
could do it for the devil, and why should not I for God?
For the last three or four hundred miles of the journey,
the cars continually dash along precipices at times a thousand feet deep, or roll over trembling trestle,vork more than
�Je6
Fr. TVI:ning-,·r mt th< Rzcific Coast.
a hundred feet high. In several different places they pass
for many miles under snow-sheds ; but experience has already proved, that even these are not always able to keep
the ro:td sufficiently clear for use in winter. Tho: route lies
through the gold region, to which the first adventurers
came to dig in search of the glittering treasure at the surface of the earth. It is really disgusting to see with what
'greed they have stirred up the country all around, forgetful
of the words of the Holy Ghost: ··Beatus vir qui post aurum non abiit." Strange to say, even the most fortunate of
those first gold-hunters, who now remain in California, are
poor and -only live to verify another saying of the Holy
Ghost: "Pro mensura peccati erit et plagarum modus."
Though the journey from Omaha to Sacramento City
lasts four days and nights, it is anything but fatiguing. One
day's ride on an eastern road is often more annoying. The
cause of this may be, that the cars are furnished with all
the latest improvements and with all appliances that can minister to the comfort of this over-delicate body of ours Besides, the Pacific is the only road that keeps time exactly.
On inquiring in Omaha, when the cars would arrive at Sacramento, I was told "on such a day at 2 o'clock in the afternoon." At 2 o'clock P.M. on that very day, the conductor entered the cars with the cry "Sacramento !" The reason of this exactness is very plain: there are no crossings;
and so the cars keep on at full speed all the way, without
that endless loss of time caused by the hundred and one
connections that you must inevitably make on every other
line.
At Sacramento I changed the cars for a steamer, and arrived that same evening in San Francisco, where I put up
at our college of St. Ignatius on Market Street. Our Fathers there are doing a good work. Though they have no
Parish Church, their sphere of usefulness is none the less
extensive. In fact, I do not recollect having been in any
other church of ours in this country, where I have seen a
�Fr. TVcningcr on tltc Pacijic Coast.
,,
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127
greater throng of worshippers than in this. The building"
is about 180 or 200 feet long by 6o or 70 feet wide, with
spacious galleries all around. From 5 o'clock on Sunday
morning until IO o'clock, when the High Mass begins,
one mass follows another in quick succession, and at every
one the church is filled to its utmost capacity. Our church
in Chicago must have presented a similar scene after the
late disastrous conflagration.
The whole property, including the church and the college
building, is now valued at about half a million. Yet the
Fathers are desirous to sell the place and buy a cheaper
plot of ground in another quarter of the city. This would
enable them to start both church and college on a grander
scale, and at the same time clear them of the debt with
which they are still encumbered. But circumstances, over
which they have no control, prevent them from carrying
out this plan at present.
The city of San Francisco itself far surpassed all my expectations. I had pictured to myself a motley collection
of houses, loosely spread out over a sandy bottom, with a
sparse population like that of Chicago along lake Michigan
some years ago. But this is by no means the case. The
old quarter of the city is built on very uneven ground; indeed some portions of it climb over such enormous hills,
that it is a simple impossibility for heavily-laden wagons
to scale the streets. The streets are well paved, and cars
are constantly running in every direction. Indeed they are
more systematically connected in San Francisco than anywhere else except in Philadelphia. Elegant buildings are
springing up on all sides, and every thoroughfare is thronged
with a restless crowd rushing wildly to and fro on business. Do what you will, you must submit to be borne
along by the current. Unless you are very firm of limb,
you are in momentary danger of losing your foothold and
of being landed rather unpleasantly upon the uncushioned
sidewalk. The very appearance of the people struck me
�.Fr. Peter Kolll)'.
~as singular. In other cities of the Union the looks of men
tell of their love of money. but in San Francisco every trace
of the countenance seems to cry: "gold l gold l gold l honestly or dishonestly ; for, gold must I havt:, though the
demon of gold himself should presently take me in clnrge
and check my baggage for his own country."
In my next, I purpose gi\·ing a sketch of my missionary
movements in this quarter of the globe.
Respectfully &c.
F.
x:
\VEX!XGER,
S.
J.
AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE 0 F FATHER
· PETER KENNY.
The memory of Father Peter Kenny, whose rare virtue
the incident given below so touchingly portrays, is fondly
cherished by the Jesuits of Ireland and Maryland.-\Vhen
the Brief of Suppression reached Ireland, it found the Society in that persecuted land poor in earthly goods, but
rich in zeal for souls and charity to their neighbor. To
use the words of Cretineau-Joly, "making common capital
of their poverty, the members of the suppressed order generously worked the field committed to their zeal and awaited
better days." Father Richard Callaghan, an old missionary
in the Philippines, whose hands and tongue bore the scars
of torture undergone for the faith, directed the secularized
Jesuits. Later on, about the year 1807, these holy men
began to make efforts for the restoration of the Society in
Ireland, .but the subjects received were, for want of opportunities at home, sent abroad to make the necessary studies.
�I
Fr. Pdcr f(olllJ'.
The death of Father Callaghan in I807 and that of Father
Thomas Betagh in I 8 l,l broke the last link that bound the
new subjects to the old Society.
Father Kenny, who succeeded Father Betagh in November r 81 I, took up the traditions of the venerable men who
had gone to their reward, and became in fact the founder
of the restored 111ission in Ireland. Under his auspices, a
college was opened, in I 814, at Clongowes \Vood in the
county of Kildare, and, later on, a Seminary at Tullabeg in
King's County.
Twice, once in rSrg and again in I8zg, Father Kenny came
as Visitor to the Maryland Province. After his return to
Irdand, he went to Rome in I 833 as Procurator for his province, aud died in the Eternal City that same year.
The venerable Father Me Elroy, to whose interest in our
periodical we are indebted for the subjoined incident, endorses it in the following terms:
"The following was written many years ago, at my request, by a Sister of Charity at Mt. St. Vincent's Convent,
near Yonkers, N. Y. This Sister (Cecilia), remembers to
have seen Fr. Kenny in Dublin, when she was quite young,
but the incident subjoined she learned from her mother.
"One morning, many years ago, a large concourse of
people had assembled in and around the Jesuits' Church,
Gardiner St., Dublin. The most devout were occupied with
their prayers, while all were in expectation of a fine sermon
from the well-known and eloquent Dr. Kenny.
His name
had been pretty freely passed from mouth to mouth outside
the church door, and his merits pretty freely discussed; but
no one ever dreamed of the display of virtue, great as it is
rare, which they were to witness in Dr. Kenny.
A! length the Holy Sacrifice was begun, and curiosity
was for a while forgotten in devotion, when the preacher
made his appearance and commenced as follows : "\Vho is
this great Dr. Kenny? A moment's attention, my beloved
brethren, and I shall inform you. He was simply a poor
�Fr. Peter Kom_v.
barefooted Irish boy, the only son of a poor widow who
lived in a cellar on 1\Iichael's hill, and sold turf. The poor
old widow sent her boy to school, but often found him during study hours in the street playing ball or marbles with
boys of his own age. Sometimes the poor woman would
follow him all the way to school :-but this she couid not
do every day, so that he was much of his time in the street.
On one occasion his play was suddenly interrupted by the
appearance of his mother with a rod in her ha.ad, ready to
make him feel the effects of it: of course the boy ran with
all possible· speed, and the poor woman would soon have
lost sight ~f him had he not been arrested by venerable
Father Betagh, who held him till the poor woman reached
the spot. Then Father Betagh accosted her: "My good
woman, what has the boy done?" "Your reverence" replied
·she, "he has my heart nearly broke. I am trying to pay
two pence a week out of my hard earnings to keep him to
school, and here he is, day after day, idling in the streets" ·
"Don't touch the boy", said the good old priest. Here the
poor. woman wept, exclaiming: "He'll break my heart!"
"Not so," replied Father Betagh, ''not so! Bring him to
me to-morrow at I I o'clock and I shall see what can be
done with him".
The next day at the appointed hour he was received
with more than fatherly affection into the house of Father
Betagh. Here he was sent every day to the free school at
Sts. Michael and John's, and after school, was employed in
cleaning the knives and blacking boots. After a time he
was sent to a Latin school by the same kind Father Betagh,
was educated for the church, and is to-day a priest here in
this pulpit.
And this is the great Dr. Kenny".
�A FAVOR OF OUR BLESSED LADY.
I
I
By not a few, it was thought a good presage for the future of our periodical, that the first and second issues
!';hould each coutain a notice of miraculous effects wrought
by the use of the \Vater of Lourdes. The remarkable favors conferred on two members of our own community of
\Voodstock would lead us to entertain the consoling belief,
that Our Lady of Lourdes has received with benignant love
the poor efforts which we have made to increase the honor
of her new shrine. It is not for ,us to chancterize the two
occurrences given below as miracles,; but so far removed
are they from the ordinary course of nature, that we prefer
to sin rather on the side of credulity, than by timid silence
to fail in manifesting the gratitude which thrilled the whole
community at the time these favors were bestowed.
On May 23rd, one of the coadjutor brothers, who had
been working all morning in the kitchen, left it about 12M.
to prepare for Examen and Dinner. He did not make his
appearance at table however, and after the visit to the
Blessed Sacrament, he was found lying in a speechless and
unconscious condition on the floor of the Brothers' Ascetory. The Infirmarian was called and, as soon as possible,
medical aid ·from the village was in attendance. The Physician could not determine the nature of the attack, but
thought prudent to treat the sufferer for apoplexy, although
many of the usual symptoms were wanting. Bleeding was
first resorted to, and quite a quantity of blood was taken
from the patient without effecting any apparent change in
his condition. Numerous applications of strong mustard
plasters followed, but failed to relieve the unconscious sufferer. More violent remedies were then tried. A strong
�A fa<'or of Our B!cssd Lad)'.
electric current from a powerful battery was induct:::l in the
body of the patient with no better results. As the last
means, a slight quantity of croton oil was administered,
with a view of producing a change in the internal system,
and at the same time a powerful fly-blister was appl:cd
behind the ear. No desired change resulted fro:n thee
efforts of the Physician and he was obliged to acknowledge
his inability to do any thing more for the patient. From
about halfpast twelve o'clock, when the stroke must have
fallen upon him, until nearly nine P. l\I., the brother remained SP._eechless and unconscious. \Vhen all means used
to restore I1im had failed, a few attendants watched bes:de
him for the first gleam of consciousness, that he might prepare for death, which seemed inevitable.
But two days previou~ly, some new Professors for the
Scholasticate had arrived, bringing with them, at the request of our Rev. F. Rector, some water from the Grotto
of Lourdes. Strangely enough, during the many hours of
our brother's illness, the presence of this miraculous water
had_ escaped the remembrance of every one. About supper time the thought of making an application of this farfamed water occurred to one of the community. During
the evening recreation the original package containing it
was opened, and R. F. Rector took .a small portion .to the
bed-side of the unconscious man. Kneeling, he recited
with the attendants a short prayer to Our Lady, and then
forced into the mouth of the brother a few drops of the
water. lnstant~y the sick man recovered sense and speech.
The Rector asked him how he felt, and he answered that
he felt quite well ; at the same time he sat up in the bed
and seemed ready to rise and walk about as usual. By the
direction of the Superior he composed hi!J1self to sleep for
the night, and, excepting the natural weakness consequent
on the loss of blood and the violence of the other remedies
used, _he suffered no further from his severe attack
As we premised, it is not our province to pronounce authoritatively the supernatural character of this happy
�A faz·or
cJ
Oz. r Ric.< sal
La1~J1.
d1ange; but the in~tantaneous re:>toration of one who had
lain unconscious for hours, under the most severe remedies,
cannot fail to excite languid faith and awaken gratitude to
the 1\Iother of God, who seems to have drawn so near us.
Such at least was the effect produced in our community.
After l\Iass on the following morning, R. F. Rector announced to the community the circumsta11ces of the singular f..wor which had been accorded to our brother, and all
united in reciting in thanksgiving the Litany of the B. V.
Mary.
Three weeks later, the same brother was again stricken
with a slight attack of like nature, and the attendants
taught by the experience of the previous case. made another application of the \Vater of Lourdes, and relief instantly followed.
\Vith a few lines respecting still another favor attributable, "·e are convinced, to the use of this same miraculous
water, we close this feeble tribute of gratitude to the l\Tother of God for the merciful interposition wherewith she has
blessed our com·nunity, trusting tlnt devotion and love
towards Our dear Lady may be renewed in all hearts.
One night during the early part of June, one of the
scholastics was seized with violent pains in the groin and
about the kidneys. The infirmarian was called and applied
some remedies which f..<iled to give any relie£ The pain
continued unabated for three hours, when some \Vater of
Lourdes was applied and the ce.-;sation of the suffering was
instantaneous. It returned no more;· and in the course of
the day the scholastic w.1s en::tbled to resume his ordinary
duties.
�THE LATE FATHER MALDONADO.
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.
The amiable and devoted life of Father .Maldonado, whose
last days were spent in \Voodstnck College, is so closely·
connected with the interests and the destinies of the Society in otlfer places, that we should be wanting in charity
towards our brethren at a distance, did we not give such
expression to our sympathy with them, as our own feelings
will allow, while· the roses that we have scattered on his
grave are not yet withered. France and Italy, England and
America have shared with his native Spain the pleasure of
his presence; he still remains embalmed in the hearts of
his friends, and his memory only grows sweeter with time.
\Ve feel called upon to give an account of the charge which
we have held in trust these three years, to touch in passing
upon the principal events of his humble yet instructive
career, and in particular to chronicle the circumstances of
his happy departure, for our mutual comfort and edification.
Father Charles 1\I. Maldonado was born at Quintanar
de Ia Orden, a village of La Mancha, in Spain, on the 2 I st
of September, I 8 I 6. A few days after his birth, his pious
parents took him to Valencia, their usual place of residen.ce, where they implanted in his infant heart the first
germs of virtue, destined soon to produce abundant fruits.
Yielding to the attractions of grace, which called him to the
Society, he fi)rsook his f.<ther's house at the early age of
fifteen, and set out for Madrid, where he was admitted into
the Noyitiate on the 27th of October, I831.
�Fatltcr MaldoNado.
195.
In the very cradle of his religious life he was rudely
rocked by the hand of persecution, and made to taste the
bitter cup of exile for the love of justice. In I 834, he escaped the fate of some of the Jesuits, who were killed by
the mob in our College of St. Isidore, Madrid, during one
of the many revolutionary movements subsequent to the
death of Ferdinand VII. And when, after eighteen months '
of incessant troubles and vexations, the Jesuits were finally
expelled from the kingdom, young Maldonado, then a student of Rhetoric, was sent by his superiors to Naples.
After studying Philosophy there for two years and teaching
the Mathematics for four, he commenced his course of
Theology. In September, 1845, he was raised to the holy
priesthood, and a year later he passed his examination ad
gradum.
Just then the Rt. Rev. Archbishop Hughes, of New
York, had erected the Ecclesiastical Seminary of St. J oseph's, at Fordham, and placed it under the direction of the
Society. The Jesuits applied to Europe for Professors; and,
on the 14th of December, 1846, Father Maldonado arrived
in answer to their request to fill the chair of Dogmatic
Theology. In November, 1850, he went to Mexico in the
interest of the mission of New York and Canada, and after
his return, January 6th, 1852, he entered upon his third
year of probation at. Frederick, Maryland. But he remained there only till the following August, when he
resumed his duties of Professor at Fordham.
In June, 1853, the Society was allowed to reenter the land
of Ignatius, and, in October, ~'ather Maldonado, who had
been called home, left this country to teach Theology in
the College of Loyola. In the course of a single year, the
Society in Spain had largely recruited its decimated ranks
by new enlistments; and, as the government would allow
no other house but that of Loyola in the whole kingdom,
the Scholastics were sent to the Seminary of Laval, in
France. Father Maldonado accompanied them in his capacity of Professor, and by his genial manners beguiled
�Fat!tcr Afa!dol!atfo.
tht! hours of their exile. During the last vacation which
he spent in France, he was appointed superior at the Yilla,
placed at the di!'po~al of the Society by Madame Ducoudray, \\ho~e n:artped 'en \\as thtn hirr.~elf a ~cholastic,
and acted as minister. As usual, Father l\laldonado endeared himself to all hearts, and received the thanks of his
youthful community in the form of a neatly-conceived little French poem.
In 1857, at the request of Bishop La Puente (afterwards
Cardinal Archbishop of Burgos), the Jes\Jits took charge of
the Centra! Seminary in Salamanca, whither Father l\Ialdonado now-temo\·ed with his Spanish Scholastics, and where
he filled, for eleven years, the same chair of Theology once
so famous for the learning of Suarez and other lights of the
old Society. At the end of the first three years, he was also
made Rector of the Seminary, and, besides continuing ·to
teach his class, assumed the government of a very large
community.
In the fall of I 868, he went to Rome as Procurator
of tl~e Spanish Jesuits-never more to return to the land of
his birth. The revolutionists, who were again up in arms,
seized the reins of government; and the Jesuits, always the first victims of rebellion, were outlawed on the soil
of Spain. Father l\Ialdonado, once more an exile, sojourned a few months in France and England, in the hope
of being assigned to some quiet and secluded place, where
he might continue teaching or studying, and prepare his
copious theological writings for the press. Providence had
already prepared this place for him. \Voodstock College
was about to open its classes, and judged itself only too
happy in securing the services of such a theologian.
Accordingly Father Maldonado landed a second time on
our shores, and spent three happy years in our midst-f..1r
removed from the storms and uphcavings of the old world,
and w~ited upon by the affection of all who knew him.
He was devotedly attached to his new home, and it was
�.Fatlzcr Jl,faldonado.
1
197
only at the repeated instances of his superiors, that he consented, in the beginning of last July, to make a short trip
to New York. He was received by his former friends
there with such cordiality, that he seemed actually to have
forgotten the settled habits of a life-time. At home, he
left his room but seldom, and was exceedingly careful not
to expose himself to the summer sun or become overheated. In New York, he often spent' a great portion of
the day in the sun, and by his presence encouraged the innocent diversions of the Scholastics.
He returned to \Voodstock on Friday, the 19th of July,
apparently in better health and spirits than ever ; but on
Saturday night, he was taken with a slight bilious attack,
which continued over Sunday and Monday withqut any
alarming symptoms. The attending physician of the house
visited him, and some of the Scholastics waited on him day
and night, more from affection than from necessity. On
l\Ionday night, however, the features of the disease began
suddenly to change. Inflammation and mortification of the
bowels set in, and an icy coldness came over his extremities. Early on Tuesday morning, two messengers were
despatched to Baltimore for a second physician, who arrived towards evening, and agreed with the other that,
unless the sick man rallied during the night, there was no
hope.-The bell that roused us from our slumbers next
morning, also tolled the "De profundis" for his repose.
The strongest stimulants had f:<iled to produce any effect,
and towards midnight it had become painfully evident
that nature must soon give way. Rev. Father Rector was
at his side, and with difficulty succeeded in persuading him
that his dissolution was so near at hand. He felt the same
strength and vigor of mind as ever, and could not believe
that this was death. He wished to \~ait till the following
day to prepare himself the better for the last visit of his
Lord.
\Vhen that was refused, he asked for at least
one hour to make ready for confession. But, as his last
�198
Fat!tcr ·liia!donado.
moments were fast approaching, it was not deemed advisable to grant even so much. He acquiesced, made his
preparation immediately, and after confessing with the
greatest edification to Father Rector himself, requested
that, when he would have died, his writings might be
burned. ·
He became, at once, unusually gay and cheerful, and
even indulged .in some of his accustomed, innocent pleasantry with the assistants who were arranging his room for
the administration of the last sacraments. At one o'clock,
A.M., he received the Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction.
He answered distinctly to all the prayers of the Church,
and tried, though unsuccessfully, to make the sign of the
cross. . After this he spoke but little more to men. Heappeared to be absorbed in sweet communion with God andresigned to the divine will. At five minutes of four, he desired
to be raised up in bed ; but a film covered his eyes immediately, and he lost his sight. His assistants, who hCtd
been supporting him, replaced his head. upon the pillow,
and one of them remarked: "You are going, Father, and
happily too-during the Novena to St. Ignatius." "That is
true," replied he, smiling, and fell calmly to rest. There
was no agony, no struggle. The same placid look as always upon his countenance; but before the recommendation of the departing was finished, his soul had returned to
its maker,-and Father Maldonado was no more. "Obdormivit in domino." It was four o'clock, A. M., and one
of the Father,;, who was just preparing to say mass for his
recovery, changed his vestments to black, and offered the
Holy Sacrifice for the repose of his soul.
Could he have chosen his own death, it had been such
as this. He had always shuddered at the thought of
death; and it came so gently that he hardly felt its touch.
He was afraid of ever incommoding his brethren in anything; and he passed away frcm among them so noiselessly and stealthily, that they were scarcely aware of it.
He was away from home: yet some of his own country-
�Fatlzcr llfaldonado.
199
men were present to solace him in his last moments ; and a
Father, in whom above all others he confided, and whom a
life-long acquaintance had linked to him in holy friendship, was near to administer the last consolations of religion.
Very Rev. Father Provincial arrived towards evening,
and himself performed the last rites after mass on the following day, which was the feast of St. James, the Apostle
and patron of Spain. The Fathers and Scholastics accompanied the venerated remains in surplices, and laid them to
rest in the shade of our silent groves, with feelings which
only they can share or fully appreciate who knew Father
Maldonado intimately during life.
"Hidden with Christ in God," his life was for us all a
schuol of those virtues which are often the most difficult to
learn. He was, in many respects, the counterpart of Venerable Bede. The same studious industry, the same untiring devotedness as a guide throughout a laborious and
bewildering task, the same strong, unconquerable faith, the
same humility united to a vast erudition, the same unruffled serenity and generous fervor, the same harmonious
blending of religious virtues with an intense, unquenchable
thirst for knowledge, were distinguishing characteristics
of the Jesuit Theologian in the nineteenth century, as well
as of the Benedictine monk in the seventh.
Father Maldonado plunged into Theology with a holy,
intelligent ardor. Study had grown into a sort ofpassion
with him. He pursued it almost as much from pleasure as
from duty, and made it his daily food and drink. He loved
to hold a long, familiar converse with the greatest minds of
the past. In the beginning of vacation, he would surround
himself with the learned tomes of such authors as had
written best on the matter of the next year's treatise; and,
closeted in his room, he would draw from them streams of
knowledge, in order to impart to us from his own fulness
during the ensuing session. Suarez was his favorite author.
He was wont to call him "eximius," · or "egregius noster,:·
and never departed from him without great diffidence or
�200
Fat!zer 1lfa!donado.
without a short apology. Though he had taught theology for a quarter of a century, and had every lecture written out with the greatest care, he would, year after y .!ar, go
over the same ground again, revising and correcting, adding and improving with the fervor of a beginner. During
the eight years that he was Rector at Salamanca, where
every one was at liberty to trespass on his leisure moments,
and even on his night's rest, he had set· apart a full hour
just before class, for the immediate preparation of his lecture; and, during that time only, there was no access to his
room.
He had analyzed and sifted, divided and subdivided every subject, perhaps with almost too great minuteness. He
loved to multiply his arguments and to pile them on one
another, until from their number alone they became truly
overwhelming. He had a magic power of riveting the attention of his hearers; when he spoke, interest rarely flagged.
He knew how to clothe even the staidest reasoning in the
gayest and most attractive robes of style. His pupils were
charmed, even when they found it difficult to follow him in
his flights. His eyes, his hands, his whole person spoke.
If the abstruseness of the matter were calculated to cause
discouragement, a look at him was sufficient to quicken the
drooping spirit.
At times he would set aside the logical severity of formal argpment, and allow his mind and heart to overflow
with those thoughts and emotions, which the subject matter naturally called forth. On such occasions, he was more
than ever admirable. It was not merely a theological lecture that he was giving us ; it was more, it was an exhortation too, and it taught us practically what he insisted on
very often-how to turn to account the teachings of dogmatic Theology in moral sermons to the people. It was
his faith that spoke to us; and his faith was really sublime.·
It showed itself in all his theological views. He never
gave quarter to an opinion that was ever so little suspected
or hazardous. He had a singular veneration for the teach-
�Fatltcr Maldonado.
20I
ings of the Fat hers, and would seldom, if ever, allow that any
of them had differed, in a single point, from the received opinions of the schools. E\·en arguments from reason were
generally backed by the authority of some ancient ecclesiastical writer, and so were informed with an element of ·
tradition and faith. No one was more cautious than he to
keep reason within its own sphere. He respected it, but
only as the handmaid ,of revelation, who must guard
against extolling herself above her mistress. He felt how
liable the human intellect is to go astray, and drew from
his studies and acquirements perpetual lessons of humility.
He \\·as commonly reputed one of the most learned
theologians of Spain ; he was held in the highest esteem
by some of the dignitaries of his own country. and the
many prelates and other eminent men who had attended
his lectures ; he was reccommended to the special consideration of the superiors in this country by Father General himself, and had been offered, a little before his
death, to choose any place of residence he might wish,
in order to prepare his theological works for immediate publication. Yet he alone seemed to be ignorant
of his own merits ; he loved to bury himself in obscurity
and to be forgotten. He had a holy horror for superiorships ; and one of the reasons for which he tried to escape
to the shades of \Voodstock, was the fear which he had of
being made Provincial, had he remained in Europe after
finishing his mission as Procurator of the Province of Castile.
He found his delight in the company of the young, and,
with charming simplicity, descended to their level.
He was the very type of gentleness and .charity. No
harsh word or unkind remark was ever heard to cross his
lips. He never dealt severely, even with an antagonist in
the arena of Philosophy and Theology, unless the theories
advanced were found to conflict with the utterances of faith
or the plainest principles of reason. He inculcated nothing
so earnestly and repeatedly on us as moderation of views,
and taught us to hesitate before pronouncing dogmatically
�202
Father 1lfa!donado.
upon a question still open in the schools, or hastily condemning the opinions of others as pernicious and unsound.
Yet it certainly was not indecision or \~·ant of firmness
that made him so extremely tolerant and forbearing; for
nothing was more marked and defined in him than his Spanish strength of character. It was his exquisite sensibility
which taught him to respect the feelings and condescend
to the weaknesses of others. It was his high-minded gentility of manner which accommodated itself to their inclinations
and way of thinking. It was his child-like simplicity and
guileless h.~art which made him a universal favorite.
. \Ve have witnessed the happy close of his career-the
soft, cloudless sunset of a glorious day. He still retained
the light, elastic step, the innocent playfulness and the bouyant spirit of youth, chastened and mellowed by years.
He had the key to the heart; he could enter it at pleasure
and hold it captive to his influence. All looked upon him
as a father and consoler, to whom they would not
appeal in vain for advice and comfort; and, when he
exchanged this world for a better one, they grieved at his
loss with an affection which was, perhaps, too nat~1ral, and,
therefore, all the harder to control. More than one have
burst into tears at the thought of him-have stood looking
into his vacant room-have knocked through abstraction
at his door, as though he were still within-or gazed up at
the open window, from which he used to smile approval on
those laboring in the flower-garden below.
His disappearance from among us seems like a dream ;
and it will be long before we have fully waked up to the
reality. He is no longer in our midst: but his memory
will always remain fresh among us and serve to remind us
of what is expected from the Jesuit. For Father Maldonado was eminently the child of the Society. \Vhat he
knew of science, of the world and of men, he had learned
from· her. He judged everything by her standard, viewed
everything in her light. He personally felt her reverses, rejoiced at her successes, and, forgetful of self, labored in-
�f
!
Fatlter 0/h,aint and !tis Companions.
203
det:>tigably and quietly in her cause. She can never forget
him, becmse a mother cannot forget the child of her
bosom. It shall be our aim to solace her in her affliction,
as best we may, by following at least from afar in the footprints which he has left, and reproducing in ourselves some
of the many noble qu.alities which we have long since
learned to admire in him. "In memoria aeterna erit justus."
FATHER OLIVAINT AND HIS COMPANIONS ..
EXTRACTS FHOJ\1 A LErl'EH OF REV. FATHER PEULTIER.
Lm•al, :June Stlt, I 872.
I was. prevented by a press of duties from writing to you
when our Italian fathers were leaving for America; but I
suppose you received the promise which I now fulfil and
the souvenirs which I entrusted to one of them for you-I
mean the photograph and relic of l'ere Olivaint. I hope
you will appreciate them ; they are very pre!=ious, and late
occurrences have made them doubly so. Of course you
understand me to refer to the miracles * which have been
wrought through the intercession of our five martyred
brethren, and particularly of Pere Olivaint. They are very
remarkable-so remarkable indeed that two or three of
them seemed to absorb the entire attention of the Paris
press, and were the occasion of many a wordy conflict between the Catholic and free-thinking journals. I think I
have told you of the first of them; the instantaneous cure
*We wish to apply the word miracle under the restrictions placed
upon the use of this term by Pope Urban VIII.
�204
rather O!h·aint and !tis Compmzions.
of a young persol'l whom the physicians declared to be bc.yond hope of recovery. \Vhile the coffins of the martyrs
were being transferred from the burial-place to our Church
in the Rue de St:vres, she asked her friends to carry her to
that of Pere Olivaint. · They accec,ied to her request, and
when in the court in front of the Church she was laid upon the coffin, and immediately rose from it in perfect health t ·
This cure was witnessed by a large number of persons who
assisted at the transfer; it caused a profound sensation
throughout Paris, and has made the Mortuary Chapel a
constant resort of pious pilgrims.
A few ~days ago, on the 28th of May I think, another
miracle occurred to bother the heads of M. Renan and his
brethren. The subject this time was a boy of ten, afflicted
with a nervous affection which made him unable to walk
or even to stand, and· deprived him of sight and hearing.
Medical and surgical aid was unavailing, and his life was
despaired o£ In this extremity, the thought of imploring
the intercession of our fathers occurred to some one, and a
N oyena of prayers and masses was begun accordi!).gly. On
Sunday, May 28th, little Andrew expressed a desire to
assist at the Mass to be said for his recovery. In vain his
,friends objected that he was tempting God, that at least he
should \vait for the last day of the Novena, etc.; they could
not resist his pleadings, and carried him to our Church where
he was laid on two chairs before the altar and propped up
with cushions. His brother; two years older than himself,
served the Mass, at which the whole family assisted and
which was celebrated by a priest who was either a relative
or a friend of the family. When the priest ascended the altar after the Confiteor, kissed the altar stone and said the
words, Oramus te, Domine, per merita sanctorum tuorum quorum rc!iquiae /zic suut, etc., he felt a strange commotion within himself and knew that a miracle was being wrought.
The bpy too felt that an unusual change had taken place in
him, and that his legs were perfectly freed and cured. Still
doubting and hesitating he waited a few minutes longer,
0
�Fat!tcr Olh•aint and !tis Companions.
205
but at the Gospel he summoned courage to throw off the
covering from his limbs and stood upright. You may imagine the astonishment and emotion of his parents. They'
extended their arms to support him, but he smilingly refused their assistance and told them that he was cured.
Throughout the remainder of the Mass he followed the
movements of the Congregation, prostrating at the Elevation, standing up, kneeling, etc. Every trace of his disease
had disappeared. He heard a mass of thanksgiving, and
at its conclusion, disengaging himself from the arms of his
parents who wer..: still doubting and wished to support him,
he ran out to the street and absolutely refused to return
home in any conveyance. He walked home, spent the rest
of the day in frolicking and running about in the house and
gardens, and when the members of his family or friends,
who had been attracted by the report of the cure, reproached
him with imprudence, he answered them; "Take ~are, if you
do not believe, Pere Olivaint may send my. sickness 'back
.
agam. "
Here is another interesting fact connected with the same
child. The little fellow was not content with being the recipient of supernatural favors himself, he must obtain them
for others; and so he prevailed upon some friends of the
family who reside at Carpentras and who doubted the efficacy of our father's intercession, to select from among the
patients of a hospital one whose case should be pronounced
hopeless by the doctors. "Make a Novena with him," said
he, "and you will see."-They accordingly visited the sick
· man together with a number of physicians from the faculty
of Montpellier, and without telling them the reason why,
obtained from them a written attestation of the impossibility of the man's recovery. Then they began the Novena,
and on the ninth day the patient was cured !
Still another miracle for the glory of the martyrs. A religious of Abbeville in the diocese of Amiens, was told by
her medical attendant to prepare for death, and her dissolution was expected daily. But one morning, so she relates,
I
l
�2o6
Fat!ter Oli••aint and Ius Companions.
Pere Olivaint appeared to her together with another father
whose brow was encircled by a halo and who carried in his
·hand the martyr's palm. Pere Olivaint said to her, " l\Iy
daughter, make a Novena and at four o'clock on the afternoon of the last day you shall be cured." His miracles
were not known to the Community, and, as you may suppose, her account was not credited, and the apparition was
attributed to the diseased imagination of the poor religious.
Nevertheless they began the Novena, though without any
great hopes of success. On the' seventh day the doctor declared that she was failing rapidly and on the ninth she received the ..Iast sacraments. At three o'clock in the afternoon she called for her habit, rose from her bed, and went
with the Community to return thanksgiving to God and
Pere Olivaint!
Since I am speaking of Pcre Olivaint I may tell you that
it is rumored that Father Boero, Postulator for the Saints
· and· Blessed of the Society, will soon corr.e to Paris to inquire into the matter. \Vho knows but we may one day
celebrate the feast of Blessed Peter and !tis Companions.
D. 0. M.
�I
.,
��Dublin CoreThe Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.TitleA name given to the resourceWoodstock LettersCreatorAn entity primarily responsible for making the resource<a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n79046634" target="_blank">Jesuits</a><a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n81134877" target="_blank">Woodstock College (Woodstock, Md.)</a>SourceA related resource from which the described resource is derivedBX3701 .W66PublisherAn entity responsible for making the resource availableJesuit Archives: Central United States ContributorAn entity responsible for making contributions to the resourceMaryland Province of the Society of JesusJesuit Archives: Central United StatesSaint Louis UniversityRightsInformation about rights held in and over the resourceReproduced with permission of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Permission to copy or publish must be obtained from the Jesuit Archives Central United States.FormatThe file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resourcePDFLanguageA language of the resourceeng latTypeThe nature or genre of the resourceTextIdentifierAn unambiguous reference to the resource within a given contextJA-WoodstockRights HolderA person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.Maryland Province of the Society of JesusAbstractA summary of the resource.The Woodstock Letters were a publication of the Society of Jesus from 1872 until 1969. They were named after Woodstock College, the Jesuit seminary in Maryland where they were published. Written almost entirely by Jesuits, and originally intended to be read only by Jesuits, the Letters were "a record of current events and historical notes connected with the colleges and missions of the Society of Jesus in North and South America." They include historical articles, updates on work being done by the Jesuits, eyewitness accounts of historic events, book reviews, obituaries, enrollment statistics for Jesuit schools, and various other items of interest to the Society. The writings of many renowned Jesuit scholars and missionaries appeared in the Woodstock Letters, including Pedro Arrupe, Pierre-Jean de Smet, Avery Dulles, Daniel Lord, Walter Hill, John Courtney Murray, Walter Ong, and Gustave Weigel. They provide an invaluable record of the work done by American Jesuits throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries.Date AvailableDate (often a range) that the resource became or will become available.2017-2ExtentThe size or duration of the resource.99 itemsTemporal CoverageTemporal characteristics of the resource.1872-1969SubjectThe topic of the resource<a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85021157.html" target="_blank">Catholic Church--Periodicals</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004994.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--19th century</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004995.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--20th century</a>TextA resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.TitleA name given to the resourceWoodstock Letters - Volume 1 (1872)CreatorAn entity primarily responsible for making the resource<a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n81134877" target="_blank">Woodstock College (Woodstock, Md.)</a>SubjectThe topic of the resource<a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85021157.html" target="_blank">Catholic Church--Periodicals.</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004994.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--19th century</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004995.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--20th century</a>DescriptionAn account of the resource1872 edition of the Woodstock Letters, "a record of current events and historical notes connected with the colleges and missions of the Society of Jesus." PublisherAn entity responsible for making the resource availableJesuit Archives: Central United StatesContributorAn entity responsible for making contributions to the resourceMaryland Province of the Society of JesusJesuit Archives Central United StatesSaint Louis UniversityTypeThe nature or genre of the resourceTextFormatThe file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resourcePDFIdentifierAn unambiguous reference to the resource within a given contextJA-Woodstock-001SourceA related resource from which the described resource is derivedBX3701 .W66 LanguageA language of the resourceenglatRelationA related resourceJA-WoodstockRightsInformation about rights held in and over the resourceReproduced with permission of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Permission to copy or publish must be obtained from the Jesuit Archives: Central United StatesRights HolderA person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.Maryland Province of the Society of JesusDate AvailableDate (often a range) that the resource became or will become available.2017-2ExtentThe size or duration of the resource.214 pagesTemporal CoverageTemporal characteristics of the resource.1872https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/26015/archive/files/34bde5d5cf0abafb998dfe55a38d1576.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1519317229&Signature=b%2FHF7PSuycpvNJ1h6%2Bic5%2B0n084%3D019ae27ede1a6935afd9bf9dfddf4268PDF TextTextA. M. D. G.
WOODSTOCK LETTERS,
I'
A RECORD
Of Cu.J•rent Events and ITistorical "-Yotes connected with
the College.~ aml ~llissiow~ of' tile Soc. of Jesw~
in North and South America,
·;.··
VOL. II.
WOODSTOCK COLLEGE,
1873.
Prill ted for priz,ate circu!ati;~t- oJt/y.
�,.
,•'
�CONTENTS.
PAGE
Father \Yhite'H Helation.-Scttlement in )Iarylaml
1
Annals of St ..Joseph's Church, Philadelphia
14,' t'.'i, 172
Fr. \Yeningcr on the Pacific Coast
H1, 218
\Yomlstock.--Its Surroundings and AsHO<"iations
41
Coeur d'Alene )fission, I<lnho.-Letter frnm Fr. Catal:lo
n7
Fr. )[ichael O'Connor
.'i!l
\Yard's Island, N. Y.-Lcttcr from Fr. J. Prnchcn~ky
70
St. Francis Xavier's Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
7G
Death of )Ir ..J. )loynihnn
80
New York and Canada )Iission.-Historical Sketch
I 09, 18!1
The Apostleship of Prayer
121i
)lissioilary Life
128
BraziL-Letter of Fr. Cybeo
133
Chinamen iu America.-Extmct from a Letter of Fr.
Weninger
142
Missions in Pennsylvania and Delaware
14G
New Catholic Stations in Kansas.-From Letters of Father
Ponziglione
14!J
A Visit to the Kootenais.-Extract of a letter of Father
U. Grassi to Father Valente .
157
China.-Nankin )lission.-Fr. Pfister to Fr. Valente
161
De Statu Causarum Servorum Dei, Soc. Jesu
1GS
Current Items
166
)Iiraculous Picture of St. Francis Xavier
A Visit to Chicago
169
20.5
BraziL-Mission of Fortaleza-From a Letter of Fr. Onorati
212
Feast of the S. Heart of Jesus· at Woodstock
231
-.
Churchville, Berks Co., Pa.-Baptism of a Protestant
Minister
242
Obituary
24.'3
�'
�.WOODSTOCK LETTERS.
VOL. II., No. r.
FATHER WHITE'S RELATION.
SETTLEMENT IN MARYLAND.
Having now arrived at the wished-for country, we appointed names as occasion served. And, indeed, the point
which is at the south we consecrated under the title of St.
Gregory ; designating the northern point, we consecrated it
to St. Michael, in honor of all the angels. A larger or more
beautiful river I have never seen. The Thames, compared
with it, can scarcely be considered a rivulet. It is not rendered impure by marshes, but on each bank of solid earth
rise beautiful groves of trees, not choked up with. an undergrowth of brambles and bushes, but as if laid out by the
Jam optata potiti regione, nomina pro re nata distribuebamus. Et quidem promontorium quod est ad austrum titulo S. Gregorii consecravimus,
aquilonare S. l'\Iichaeli in honorem omnium angelorum indigitantes. l'\fajus jucundiusve tlumen aspexi nunquam. Thamesis illi comparatus vix
rivulus videri potest. Nullis inficitur paludibus, sed solida utrinque
terra assurgunt decentes arborum silvae, non clausae vepretis, vel subnascentibus surculis, sed quasi manu laxa consitae ut libcre quadrigam
�2
Father
~Vhite's
Rdatiott.
hand, in a manner so open, that you might freely drive a
four horse chariot in the midst of the trees.
At the very mouth of the river we beheld the natives
armed. That night fires were kindled through the whole
region, and since so large· a ship had never been seen by
them, messengers were sent every where to announce, "that
a canoe as large as an island had brought as many men as
there were trees in the forests.'' vVe proceeded, however,
to the Heron Islands, so called from the immense flocks,
of birds of this kind. The first which presented itself, we
called St. Clement's; the second, St. Catharine's; the third,
St. Cecilia-,s. vVe landed first at St. Clement's, to which
there is no access except by fording, because of the shelving nature of the shore. Here the young women, who
had landed for the purpose of washing, were nearly drowned
by the upsetting of the boat-a great portion of my linen
being lost-no trifling misfortune in these parts.
This island abounds in cedar, sassafras, and the herbs
and flowers for making salads of every kind, with the nut
of a wild tree, which bears a very hard nut, in a thick shell,
with a kernel very small but remarkably pleasant. However, since it was only four hundred acres in extent, it did
inter medias arbores agitare possis. In ipso ostio fluminis armatos indigenas conspeximus. Ea nocte ignes tot a regione arserunt, et quoniam
nunquam illis tam magna navis conspecta fuit, nuntii hinc inde missi
narrabant Oarwam insulae similem adventasse tot homines quot in
sylvis arbores. Processimus tamen ad Insulas Ardearum, sic dictas ab
inauditis examinibus hujusmodi volucrum. Primam quae occcurrit Sancti Clementis nomine appellavimus, secundam S. Catharinae, tertiam
S. Ceciliae. Descmdimus primum ad S. Clementis, ad quam nisi vado
·non patet accessus propter declive littus. Hie ancillae quae ad lavandum
excenderant, inverso lintre pene submersae sunt, magna parte meorum
etiam linteorum drperdita, jactura in his partibus non mediocri.
Abundat haec insula cedro, saxifragio, herbis et floribus ad omnis
generis acetaria componenda, nuce etiam sylvestri, quae juglandem fert
praeduram, spisso putamine, nucleo parvo, sed mire grato. Cum tamen
quadringentorum tan tum jugerum latitudine visa est non ampla satis fu-
�rather vVhite's Rdatio1l.
3
not appe.u to be a sufficiently large location for a new settlement. Nevertheless, a place was sought for building a fort
to prohibit foreigners from the trade of the river, and to
protect our boundaries, for that is the narrowest crossin~
of the river.
On the festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in the year 1634, we offered in this island, for the
first time, the sacrifice of the mass ; in this region of the
world it had never been celebrated before. The sacrifice
being ended, having taken up on our shoulders the great
cross which we had hewn from a tree, and going in procession to· the place that had been designated, the Governor,
Commissioners and other Catholics participating in the ceremony, we erected it as a trophy to Christ the Saviour, while
the Litany of the Holy Cross was chaunted humbly on
our bended knees, with great emotion of soul.
But \\hen the Governor had understood that many sachems are subject to the chieftain of Piscataway, he resolved
to visit him, that the cause of our coming being explained,
and this one's good will being conciliated, a more easy access might be gained to the minds of the others. Therefore,
having added to our pinnace another which he had bought
in Virginia, and having left the ship anchored at St. Clemtura sedes novae plantationis. Quaesitus est tamen locus castro aedificando ad prohibendos exteros fluvii commercio, finesque tutandos, is
enim erat angustissimus fluminis trajectus.
Die Annuntiationis S. Virginis l'tlariae anno 1634 primum in hac insula
litavimus; in hac coeli regione nunquam antea id factum. Sacrificio
peracto sublata in humeros ingenti cruce quam ex arbore dedolaveramus,
ad locum designatum ordine procedentes, Praefecto et Commissariis,
caeterisque Catholicis adjuvantibus, trophaeum Christo Servatori ereximus, Litaniis Sanctae Crucis humiliter flexis genibus, magna animorum commotione recitatis.
Cum autern intellexisset Praefectus Imperatori Pascatawaye complures
parere regulos, ilium adire statuit ut explioata itineris nostri causa, et
ejus unius conciliata voluntate, facilior ad caeterorum animos pateret ingressus. Haque juncta celoci nostrae altera, quam in Virginia conduxerat, et navi in anchoris relicta ad Sanctum Clementem, cursu circumac-
�4
Fatltcr TV!tit/s Relation.
ent's, retracing his course, he landed at the south side of
the river. And when he had found out that the savages
had fled into the interior, he proceeded to a village which is
also called Potomac, a name derived from the river. Here
was the young king's" guardian, named Archihu; he was
his uncle and administered the government in place of the
youth-a grave rr.an and prudent.
To Father John Altham, who had come as companion of
the Governor, {for he left me with the baggage,j he willingly gave ear while explaining, through an interpreter,
certain things concerning the errors qf the heathens and
now and then acknowledged his own ; and when informed
that we had not come thither for the purpose of war, but
for the sake of benevolence, that we might imbue a rude
race with the precepts of civilization, and open the way to
heaven, as well as impart to them the comforts of distant
regions, he signified that we had come acceptably. The
interpreter was one of the Protestants of Virginia. Therefore, when the father could not discuss matters further for
want of time, he promised that he would return before long
"This is agreeable to my mind," said Archihu, ''we will use
one table ; my attendants shall go hunt for you, and all
things shall be common between us."
to ad australem part em fluminis excendit. Cumque barbaros ad interiora
fugisse comperisset, progressus est ad civitatem quae a flumine desumpto
nomine Potomeach etiam dicitur. Hie Regi puero tutor enit patruus
nomine Archihu puerique vices in regno habebat vir gravis et prudens.
Is P. Altham (Joannis) qui comes additus erat Praefecto (me etenim
etiamnum detinebat ad Sarcinas) quaedam per intepretem de gentilium
erroribus explicanti, Jibenter aures dabat, suos identidem agnoscens; atque edoctus nos non belli causa, sed benevolentiae gratia eo appulisse, ut
gentem rudem civilibus praecepti~ imbueremus et viam ad coelum apedremus, simul regionum longinquarum commoda iis impertituros, gratos
advenisse monstravit. Interpres erat ex protestantibus Virginiae. Itaque
cum plura pro tempore disserere non posset Pater, promisit se non ila
multo post reversurum. Id mihi ex animo accidit, inquit Archihu, una
mensa utemur, mei quoque asseclae pro te vena tum ibunt, eruntque inter
nos oninia communia.
�.Fatlzer lV/zitc's Relation,
5
From this we went to Piscataway, at which place all flew
to arms ... About five hundred men, equipped with bows,
stood on the shore with their. chieftain. Signs of peace
being given them, the chief laying aside his apprehensions,
came on board the pinnace, and when he heard that our intentions were friendly, he gave us permission to settle in
whatever part of his country we might wish.
In the meantime, while the Governor was on his visit to
the chieftain, the savages at St. Clement's having grown
more bold, mingh,:d familiarly with our guards, for we kept
guard day and night, to protect our wood-cutters from sudden attacks, as well as the brigantine brought by us and
which we were constructing of planks and beams. It was
amusing to hear them admiring every thing. Above all,
where in the world did so large a tree grow, from which so
immense a mass of a ship could be hewn? for they thought
that it was hollowed from the trunk of a single tree, after
the manner of an Indian dug-out. Our cannon struck them
all with consternation, as they were much more resonant
than their twanging bows, and loud as thunder.
The Governor in his visit to the chieftain had taken as
companion, Captain Henry Fleet, a resident of Virginia, a
Hinc itum ad Pascatawaye, ubi omnes ad arma convolarunt. Quingenti cireiter arcubus instructi in littore cum Imperatore constiterant.
Signis pacis datis, Imperator metu posito celocem conscendit et audito
nostroruni benevolo erga eas gentes animo, flteultatem dedit qua imperii
·
ejus parte vellemus habitandi.
Interim dum Praefectus apud Imperatorem in itinere est, barbari ad
S. C!ementem audentiores facti, se vigilibus nostris familiarius admiscebant. Excubias enim interdiu, noctuque agebamus, tum ut lignatores
nostros, tum ut aphractum, quem tabulis, costisque solutis allatum aedificabamus, ab repentibus insultibus tutaremur. -Voluptati ent audire admirantes singula. In primis ubinam terrarum ianta arbor excrevisset,
ex qua tam immensa moles navis dedolaretur, excisam enim arbitr:tbantur
quemadmodum indicae canoae ex uno aliquo arboris trunco. Tormenta
majora attonit~s omnes tenebant, haud paulo quippe vocaliora erant stridulis ipsorum arcubus, et tonitrui paria.
Praefectus socium itineris adhibuerat ad Imperatorem Henricum Fleet
Capitaneum ex iis qui in Virginia commorantur, hominem barbaris in
�6
Fatlzcr l1'7zitc's Relation.
man very much beloved by the savages, and acqua~nted
with their language and settlements. At the first he was
very friendly to us; afterwards, seduced by the evil counsels
of a certain Claiborne, he became most hostile and stirred
up the minds of the natives against us with· all the art of
which he was master. In the meantime, however, while he
remained as a friend among us, he pointed out to the Governor a place for a settlement, such that Europe cannot
show a better for agreeableness of situation.
From St. Clement's, having proceeded about nine leagues
towards the north, we entered the mouth of a river, to which
we gave·the name of St. George. This river, in a course
from south to north, runs about twenty miles before it is
freed from its salt taste-not unlike the Thames. Two bays
appeared at its mouth, capable of containing three hundred
ships of the largest class. One of the bays we consecrated
to St. George; the other bay, more inland, to the ·Blessed
Virgin Mary. The left bank of the river was the residence
of King Yoacomico. \Ve landed on the right, and having
advanced about a thousand paces from the shore, we gave
the-name of St. Mary's to the intended city; and that we
might avoid all appearance of injury and of hostility, having
paid in exchange axes, hatchets, hoes, and some yards of
primis gratum, et linguae locorumque peri tum. Hie initio nobis perfami.
liaris, deinde Claborni cujusdam sinistris seductus consiliis, infensissimus effectus, indigenarum animos qua arte potest adversus nos accendit.
Interim tamen dum inter nos amicus ageret, sedem Praefecto monstravit
qualem vix Europa meliorem loci benignitate ostendere potest.
A Sancto Clemente circiter leucas novem progressi ad Aquilonem fluminis ostio illapsi sumus cui a S. Georgia nomen indidimus. Id flumen ab
Austro ad Aquilonem ad viginti circiter milliaria procurrit antequam
salsedine marina exuatur, Thamesi non dissimile. In ejus ostio duo visuntur sinus 300 navium immensae molis capaces. Sinum unum Sancto
Georgio consecravimus, alterum interius B. Virgini l\Iariae. Laeva pars
fluminis sedes erat Regis Yoacomico ; nos ad dexteram excendimus et
ad mille passus a littore avulsi, civitati designatae nomen a S. }!aria
posuimus; utque omnem speciem injuriae, inimicitiarumque occasionem
praeverteremus, appensis in commutationem securibus, asciis, rastris et
�Fatlzer H7zite's Rdation.
7
cloth, we bought from the King thirty miles of his territory,
which part goes by the name of Augusta Carolina.
The Susquehannoes, a tribe accustomed to wars, and particularly troublesome _to King Yoacomico, in frequent incursions devastate all his lands, and compel the inhabitants,
through fear of danger, to seek other habitations. This is
the reason why so readily we obtained a part of his kingdom; by these_ means, God is opening the way for his law
and for light eternal, since every day some of them move
away and leave to us their houses, lands and fallow-fields.
Truly this is like a miracle, that savage men, a few days
before arrayed in arms against us, so readily trust themselves like lambs to us, and surrender to us themselves and
their property. The finger of God is in this ; and God designs some great good to this people. Some few have
granted to them the privilege of remaining with us till the
next year. But then the ground is to be given up to us,
unencumbered.
The natives are of tall and comely stature, of a skin by
nature somewhat tawny, which they make more hideous by
daubing, for the most part, with red paint mixed with oil,
to keep away the mosquitos; in this, more intent on their
_
co:nfort than their beauty. They smear their faces also
!
r
I
1
f
I'
'
I
I
L
~
mensuris aliquot panni, emi:nus a Rege triginta terrae illius milliaria,
cui regioni Augusta Carolina jam nomen est.
Sasquehanoes, gens bellis assueta, Regi Yoacomico praeceteris infesta,
frequentibus incursibus omnem depopulatur agrum, et incolas ad alias
q'uaerendas sedes, periculi metu adigit. Hoc causa est cur tam prompte
partem ejus regni impetravimus. Deo viam legi suae et lumini aeterno
his adminiculis aperiente, migrant alii atque alii quotidie nobisque relinquunt domos, agros, novalia. Id profecto miraculo simile est, homines
barbaros paucis ante diebus in armis adversum nos paratos, tam facile se
nobis velut agnos permittere, nobis se suaque tradere. Digitus· Dei est
hie, et magnum aliquod emolumentum huic nationi meditatur Deus. Pancis tamen quibusdam permittitur sua inter nos habitatio in annum proxlmum. Tunc vero liber nobis relinquendus est ager.
Indigenae statura sunt procera et decenti, cute a natura subfusca, quam
colore plerumque rubeo mixto oleo inficientes, ut culices arceant, tetriorem reddunt, commodo suo magis intenti quam decori. Vultum aliis
�8
Father lVhitc's Rdati01r.
with other colors; from the nose upwards. seagreen; downwards, reddish, or the contrary, in a manner truly disgusting and terrific. And since they are without beard almost
·to the end of life, they make the representCJtion of beard
with paint, lines of various colors being drawn from the tip
of the lips to the ears. They encourage the growth of the
hair, which is generally black, and bind it with a fillet when
brought round in a knot to the left ear, something which is
held in estimation by them being added by way of ornament. Some bear upon their forehead the representation
of a fish in copper. They encircle their necks with glass
beads -strung upon a thread, after the manner of chains ;
these beads, however, begin to be more common with them,
and less useful for traffic.
They are generally dressed in deerskin, or like kind of
covering, which flows behind after the manner of a cloak,
and are girded about the middle with an apron; in other
respects they are naked. Young boys and girls run about
without any covering whatever. The soles of their feet
being as hard as horn, they tread upon thorns· and thistles
without injury. Their weapons are bows, and arrows two
cubits long, pointed with buck-horn or a piece of white,
sharpened flintstone; they direct these with so much skill
etiam coloribus deturpant, a na8o sursum coerulei, deorsum rubicundi
vel e contra variis et sane faedis, terrificisque modis. Et quoniam barba
in ultimam prope aetatem carent, pigmentis barbam simulant lineis varii
co loris ab extimis labiis ad aures productis. Caesariem quam plerumque
nigram nutriunt, in nodum ad sinistram aurem circumductam vitta
astringunt, addito ali~uo quod apud ipsos in pretio sit monili. Quidam
in fronte praeferunt piscis figuram cupream. Colla muniunt vitreis globulis filo insertis more torquimn, quamquam hi globu).i viliores apud ipsos esse incipiunt et commercio minus utiles.
Vestiuntur ut plurimum pelle cervina vel simi!is generis velo, quod a
tergo fluit in modum pal!ii, cincti ad umbilicum perizomatis, caetera
nudi. Impubes pueri puellaeque nulla re tecti vagantur. Plan tis pedum
velut cornu duris spinas, tribulosque calcant illaesi. Arma sunt arcus et
sagittae duos cubitos longae; cornu cervino, vel albo praeacutoque si!ice
armatae: has tanta arte librant, ut passerem eminus medium configant..
�Fatlter TV!titc's Relation
9
that from a distance they cdn shoot a sparrow through the
middle. And in order to practise themselves for skill, they
throw up a thong on high, and transfix it with an arrow
impelled from a bowstring, before it falls to the ground.
As they do not use a well-strung bow, they cannot hit a
distant mark. By means of these arms they live, and daily
through the fields and woods, they hunt squirrels, partridges, turkeys, and wild beasts. For of all these there is
great plenty, though we, ourselves, do not venture as yet
to provide food by hunting, through fear of falling into an
ambuscade.
·
They live in huts of ari oblong, oval form, built nine or
ten feet high. Into these huts light is admitted from above,
by a window, a cubit in extent; it serves also for removing the smoke; for they kindle a fire in the middle of the
floor and sleep around the fire. The kings, however,_ and
principal men have, as it were, their private apartments and
bed, four posts being driven into the ground, and poles
placed upon them to receive the bed. .One of these huts
has been allotted to me and my companions, in which we
are accommodated sufficiently well ,for the time being, until more commodious dwellings shall be built. This house
might be called the first chapel of Maryland, although not
Utque se ad peritian\ exerceant, lorum in sublime jaciunt, tum impulsam
nervo sagittam infigunt antequam decidat. Arcu quoniam non admodum
contento utuntur, metmn Ionge positam ferire non possunt. His armis
vivunt et quotidi~ per agros et sylvas sciuros, perdices, pullos indicos,
ferasque venantur. Horum enim omnium ingens est copia, quamquam
nondum nobis ipsi expedire alimenta venatu audeamus metu insidiarum.
Domos ha,bitant ovali forma oblongs constructas novem vel decem
pedes altas. In has lumen a tecto admittitur fenestra cubitali: illa fumo
etiam auferendo inservit; nam ignem medio in pavimento accendunt et
circa ignem dormiunt. Reges tamen et principes viri sua habent velut
conclavia, et lectum quatuor fulcris in terram adactis, et asseribus superposit is in stratum. Mihi et sociis ex his casulis una obtigit, in qua sat pro
tempore commode habemur, donee aedificia parentur laxiora. lliam
primmn Marylandiae sacellmn dixeris, quamquam hand paulo decentius
�IO
Fatlzer TV!tite's Relati(m.
much better finished than when it was occupied by the Indians. The next voyage, if God prosper our undertaking,
we shall not be destitute of the things which are found
necessary in other houses.
The tribe has an ingenuous and cheerful disposition,
and can understand a matter fairly when it is explained.
In acuteness of taste and smell they excel Europeans,
and they surpass them also in sharpness of sight. They
live mostly on a pap which they call pone or lzominy. Each
of these is made of corn, and they sometimes add a fish
or a beast or bird which they have taken in hunting. They
keep themselves as much as possible from wine and warm
drinks, nor are they easily induced to taste them, except
those whom the English have infected with their vices. So
far as pertains to chastity, I confess that I have not yet observed in man or woman any action which might savor
even. of levity, notwithstanding they are with us and among
us daily, and are glad to enjoy our society. Thty come of
their own accord, with a cheerful countenance, and offer
whatever they have taken in nunting or fishing: they bring
victuals also at times, and oysters boiled or roasted. having
been invited to do this by the few words of their vernacular
tongue which we have hitherto learned by signs as well
instructum quam cum ab Indis habitabaiur. Pro:tima navigatione si
Deus coeptis annuat, non deerunt Nostris, quae ceteris in domibus srrnt
usni necessaria.
Genti indoles ingenua est et laeta et qure rem probe capiat cum
proponitrrr: gustu excellunt, et odoratu; visu etiam Europaeos superant.
Victitant plerrrmque prrlte, qul'm Pone et Omini appellant; utraque ex
tritico conficitur, addrrntque interdum piscem, vel quod venatu aucupioque assecuti srrnt. Cavent sibi qu 1m maxime a vino, et potionilms culidis,
neque adducuntur facile ut eas degustent nisi quos Angli suis vitiis infecerint. Quod ad castitatem attinet, fateor me nondum advertisse in viro
vel femina actionem rrllam qure vel levitatem saperet, quotidie tamen
nobiscum et apud nos srrnt et nostro gaudent uti consortia. Accurrrrnt
sponte, vultu ad hilaritatem composito, et offerunt qure venati vel piscati
fuerint, cibos etiam aliquando et ostrea cocta vel arsa, idque paucis invitati linguae ipsis vernacrrlae verbis, qure per signa hactenus utcumque
didicimus.
�Fatlt<·r lVIzite's Rdatio1Z.
II
as we could. Notwithstanding they keep many wives, they
preserve conjugal faith inviolate. The countenances of the
women are grave and modest. Upon the whole, they
cultivate generous minds; whatever kindness you may
confer, they repay. They determine nothing rashly, or
when actuated by a sudden impulse of mind, but with reflection, so that when any thing of moment, is at any time,
proposed, they are for a time silent in a thoughtful manner;
then they answer briefly, Yes or No, and are very firm of
their purpose. If these people be once imbued with christian principles, (and I see nothing to hinder it, except a want
of acquaintance with the language spoken in these regions,)
they will assuredly become worthy promoters of virtue and
humanity. They are possessed with a wonderful desire of
civilization and of the dress of Europeans, and they would
have long since used their clothing had not the avarice of
the traders prevented it, who do not exchange cloth except
for beaver. But every one cannot hunt the beaver. Far
from us be their avarice, that we should imitate it.
Ignorance of their language renders it still doubtful for
me to state what views they entertain concerning religion;
for we have not much confidence in protestant interpreters.
These few things we have hurriedly learned. They recog-
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P!ures ducunt uxores, integram tamen servant fidem conjugalem.
::llulicrum aspectus gravis est et modestus. In universum liberales
nutriunt animos, quidquid beneflcii contuleris rependunt. Nihil teme.
re decemunt, aut subito arrepti motu animi, sed ratione; ideo cum quidquam momenti aliquando proponitur silent aliquando cogitabundi, tunc
aiunt breviter, aut negant et propositi sunt tenacissimi. Hi profecto si
semel praeceptis christiania imbuantur, (et quidem nihil obstare videtur
praeter linguae his regionibus usitatae defectum) virtu tis humanitatisque
cultores egregii evadent. :Miro tenentur desiderio civilis conversationis
Europaeorumque indumentorum, jamque pridem vestibus fuissent usi, ni
avaritia mercatorum obstitisset qui pannos nisi castore non comn:iutant.
Castorem vero unusquisque venari non potest. Absit ut horum avaritia
nos imitemur.
Idiomatis ignoratio facit, ut quid porro de religione sentiant, nondum
constet. Interpretibus enim Protestantibus minus fldimus: haec pauca
raptim didicimus. Unum Deum coeli agnoscunt: quem Deum nostrum
�12
nize one God of heaven, whom they call "Our God''; nevertheless, they pay him no external worship, but by every
means in their power, they endeavor to appease a certain
evil spirit which they call Gehrt, that he may not hurt them.
They worship corn and fire. as I am informed, as gods wonderfully beneficent to the human race. Some of our men
relate that they have seen the following ceremony in a temple at Barcluxem.
On an appointed day there assembled from many parts
of the country around a great fire, all the men and women
of all ages. ·,Next to the fire stood the younger people;
behind them.those more advanced in life. A piece of deer's
fat being then thrown into the fire, and hands and voices
being uplifted to heaven, they cried out "Taho! Taho!"
A space being cleared, some one produces a very large
bag; in the bag is a pipe and some powder which they call
potu. The pipe is such as our countrymen use for smoking tobacco, but much larger. Then the bag is carried
around the fire, the boys and girls following, and in a
pretty agreeable voice singing alternately, Taho ! Taho !
The circle being completed, the pipe is taken from the
pouch with the powder. The potu is distributed to each of
the bystanders ; and every one smoking this when it is lit
vocnnt, nnllum tam en cxternnm houorem illi exhibcnt; omni vero ratione
placere conantur fimaticnm qncndam spiritnm, quem Ocltre nomin:mt,
nt ne noccat; frumentum, ut audio, et ignem colunt ut Deos humano
generi mire bcneficos. Hanc ceremoniam quidam e nostris in templo
Barcluxem vidisse se narrant. Die constitnto a pluribus pagis convenere
circa ingentem ignem omnes omnium actatum viri, feminaeque. Proxime ad ignem stabant juniores, pone illos provectiores. Tum adipe
cervina in ignem conjecta, et sublatis in coelum manibus et vocibus,
clamabant Talw! Talto! Intervallo fhcto, profert unus aliquis bene magnam peram; in pera est tubus et pulvis, quem Potu nominant: tubus est
quali nostrates utuntur ad exsugendum fumum Tabacci, sed multo majori.
Igitur pera circa ignem fertur sequentibus pueris et puellis, et voce satis
grata alternantibus Talto! Talt6! Circulo peracto, eximitur tubus a pera
et pulvis. Potu in singulos astantes distribuitur, cujus in tubo accensi
I
�.Fat/ur W!titc's Relation.
13
in the pipe, puffs the smoke over all his limbs and consecrates them. I have not been able to learn more, except
that they appear to have ~orne knowledge of a flood by
which the world perished, because of the sins of mankind.
'vVe have been here only one month, and so other things
must be reserved for the next sail. This I can say, that
the soil appears particularly fertile, and strawberries, vines,
sassafras, hickory nuts, and walnuts, we tread upon everywhere, in the thickest woods. The soi1 is dark and soft, a
foot in thickness, and rests upon a rich, reddish clay. Everywhere there are very high trees, except where the ground
is tilled by a scanty population. An abundance of springs
affords water. No animals are seen except the deer, the
beaver, and squirrels which are as large as the hares of
Europe. There is an infinite number of birds of different
colors, as eagles, herons, swans, geese, partridges, and
ducks. From which you may infer, that there is not wanting .to this land, whatever may contribute to the comfort
and pleasure of its inhabitants.
fumum quisque exsugens, membra corporis sui singula perfiat consecratque. Plura non licuit discere, nisi quod videantur notitiam aliquam
habuisse diluvii quo mundus periit propter scelera hominum.
Uno tim tum mense hie fuimus, itaque oetera proximae navigationi servanda sunt. Illud assero, solum videri in primis fertile, fragra, vites,
saxifragium, glandes, juglandes passim densissimis in sylvis calcamus.
Nigra et mollis terra unius pedis crassitudine insternitur pingui et rubenti
argillae. Praecelsae ubique arbores, nisi ubi a paucis cultus ager. Copia
fontium potum subministrat. Animalia nulla apparent praeter cervos,
castorem et sciuros, quilepores europaeos adaequant. Infinita vis avium
est versicolorum ut aquilarum, ardearum, cycnorum, anserum, perdicum,
anatum. Ex quibus conjectura est non deesse regioni, quae vel commodis vel voluptati habitantium subserviant.
�ANNALS OF ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH,
PHILADELPHIA.
PART FIRST.
"The Little Church down the Alley", one hundred and
forty years .. since dedicated to the worship of Almighty
God, under the patronage of the glorious Spouse of our
Immaculate Mother, is invested with a peculiar interest to
the American Jesuit, as not only one of the oldest churches
in the United States, but the oldest Catholic Church in that
part of America, formerly under the British rule.*
The City of Philadelphia was founded in 1682 and as
early as 1686 the Holy Sacrifice was offered up in the
"Quaker City", probably by one of the Fathers from St.
Inigoes in Maryland.
The first forty years of Philadelphia's history art veiled
in darkness as to the Catholic Church. Although Penn's
Friends fled from England on accou11t of religious persecution, they have always evinced an active, if quiet, hostility
to the religion of Penn's father: and, in the early years of
the Colony, this hostility was augmented by the fear of offending the "hot-Church-party" in the Mother Country; if
they should show any favor to the Papists.
'What is known of the Church during the first half-century of Philadelphia's existence is rather surmise than fact.
It is true some fifty years ago, there were many traditions,
but these were scarcely reliable enough to constitute them
de fide. The early settlers, as is well known, were Quakers.
It was over thirteen years, before there could be found suf-
* DE
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CoURCY-The Catholic Church in the U. S., 200.
!'
�St. Yoscplz's Clwrclt, Plziladclplzia.
15
ficient members of the Established Church to form a very
small congregation.* During the first twenty-five years
there could have been little to wean the Catholic settlers
from their preference to Mary's-land. The few who did
come to Penn's City were chiefly Irish, with a very small
number of Germans and English.
Vague and unreliable rumor points out three places as
the site of the first Catholic Church. ·we know mass was
celebrated in 1686, and Penn, in a letter to Governor Logan,
dated 7 month, 29 day, 1708, complains of the frequent public celebration of the mass.t Watson, in his "Annals of
Philadelphia" n~entions the N. W. Corner of Front alid
Walnut Streets. But here serious difficulties arise. Penn's
own mansion, the "Old-Slate-Roof House", was situated in
Second above Walriut Street, while its grounds sloped down
to "Dock Creek," now "Dock Street," which brings Front
and ·walnut Streets in the very heart of Penn's park; and
is it likely that so timorous and intolerant a Quaker as
William Penn would suffer the "scandal of a mass"t to be
offered up on his own grounds, almost in sight of his house?
Somewhat later, when the streets were laid out, the lot on
theN. \V. Corner of Front and Walnut Streets, was by patent deeded by Wm. Penn to Griffith Jones, a member of
the Society of Friends, and remained in the possession of
"Friends" until 18 50, most of the ·time as a dwelling-house
for the owners,!! and though they might possibly have, at
times allowed an .apartment in their house to be used for
Catholic worship, they could scarcely have been expected
to give it as a "Romish Chapel."
Watson also mentions, on the authority of an old lady
"who had heard it said," that the house at the S. E. Corner
*Philadelphia and Its Environs.-Relics of the Past, 7.
t Here is a complaint against your government that you suffer
publick mass in a scandalous manner. Pray send the matter of fact, for
ill use is made of it against us here.
·
t Penn's letter to a friend.
II "A. History of Philadelphia," by Thompson Westcott. Ch. CXV.
,I
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�16
St. :Joseph's ,Church, Plti!addphia.
of Second and Chestnut Streets had been built for a pap:tl
chapel. The dimensions of this building, however, were
great, far too great, for the requirements of the Catholics at
that time. Nearly fifty years after the building of this socalled church, Father Harding, S. J., numbered but one hundred and twenty, men, women, and children, in his congregation.
It is generally supposed in Philadelphia, that a Roman
Catholic chapd was built near the City on the Road between Nicetown and Germantown. It is said, Miss Elizabeth M'Gawley, an Irish lady, brought over a number of
her tenantry, and that they settled near Nicetown, and that
she erected a chapel near her residence. At a short distance from the plac~ designated is still extant a stone enclosure, containing a large marble tomb inscribed with a
cross and the name "John Michael Brown. ob. 15th December, A. D. 1750. R. I. P." _From the earliest settlement
of the Colony the "Records of Deeds, &c" have been kept
with Quaker-like precision, yet no one has been able to find
the record of a deed or grant to the said Elizabeth M 'Gawley, or any registry .of her will. John Michael Brown was
said to be the priest of this chapel, but as on the zd. of May,
1747, Dr. John Michael Brown and Sarah his wife sold
Father Greaton, S. J., for the sum o( £gz. fifteen and on~
half acres of ground fronting on \Vingohocking creek ; and
as the first effort to introduce Greek orthodoxy into Philadelphia was made by the infamous Hogan in 1822, I naturally conclude that Dr. John Michael Brown was not a
D. D. but an M. D. \Ve canhave little doubt of Dr. Brown's
Catholicity, since in his will he bequeaths £10. for masses
for the repose of his soul. He likewise devised to his sister,
Mrs. Anastasia Dillon, "a suit of priestly vestments and a
silver chalice," (probably not very handsome, as they were
valued at fifteen shillings,) while he left to Rev. Theodore
Schneider, S. J., th~ sum of £zo. Catholic undoubtedly he
was, but, as among his chattels are found "a sword, pistols ·
I
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�St. :Joseph's C/wrc/z, P/ziladclplzia.
and a large quantity of female apparel," we would scarcely ·
judge him to have been a priest. The executors of his last
will and testament were Robert Meade, great-grand-father
to Major General George A. Meade, U. S. A., Rev. Theodore Schneider, Pastor of St. Joseph's Chapel, and Rqbert
Luther of "Mont Serat." Dr. Brown resided for some time
in the \Vest Indies where he had acquired a large fortune,
and as he was living at a considerable distance from the
built-up portion of the City, surrounded by the Meades,
Crumps, and Masons, it is not improbable that he had a
chapel in his house where Fathers Greaton and Schneider
occasionally said mass for his household and the neighboring Catholics. "The Chapel near Nicetown," said to have
been built in 1729-I judge to have been a myth. The
greatest proof of its existence rests on the assertion of Deborah Logan, who "remembered having seen its ruins."
This Deborah was the wife. of James Logan, an Irish Quaker, who came over with Penn, and in 1729 must have been
fifty years of age, and as the wife of on~ of the leading men
of the Colony and an ex-governor, would have been likely
to remember something more definite of this Chapel, than
having seen its ruins. If ever there existed a chapel near
Nicetown it must hav~ been on the ground purchased by
Father Greaton, and must have been built after 1747, more
than fourteen years after St. Joseph's was erected.
Some thirty-odd years ago, when a lad of ten or eleven
years, it was my happiness to be acquainted with ~ Mrs.
Baker, (most probably the grand-mother of Mr. Drexel, the
Senior member of the celebrated firm of "Drexel, Harjes
& Co. Bankers. 3 Rue Scribe, Paris,) an old lady of mixed
English and German descent, then more than four-score
years and ten, who was born where. St. Joseph's College
now stands-a healthy, wholesome, brisk, chatty old-soul,
full of anecdote, with a mind clear as crystal and a most
retentive memory. During the first twenty years of her
life she lived in the house of her birth, which was one of
�18
S!. Yoseph's Church, Philadelphia.
those torn down to make way for St. Joseph's College.
Always finding an attentive listener in the boy of ten, she
delighted to tell, how one Sunday morning, her father,
mother, sisters, and two elder brothers with herself were
gat~ered, according to custom, in the "best room" while
the father read the prayers for mass, when a friend, stopping
at the window, said : "\Vhy don't you go to hear mass?"
"Father and Mother both replied; 0, if we only could!"
The tears would run down the dear old lady's cheeks, as
she told how mass was said for years in the very next house,
''and we knew nothing of it." This old lady told me that
her mother''had often been present at mass and instructions,
in an old frame house that stood at the S. \V. Corner of
Front and Spruce Streets, and whenever she passed that
house, she would make a profound courtesy, for she said it
was holy ground.
From this I have concluded, and I think most will agree
with me, that in Philadelphia the first Chapel built was old
St. Joseph's, the "Mother of Churches"; and that previous
to 1732, our Fathers who occasionally visited the City,
said mass at different houses of the faithful, which will
satisfactorily account for the various places assigned for the
first mass.
In 1730, some say 1732, Father Ja'seph Greaton, S. J., a
native of Lynton, North Devon, England, who had previously made frequent missionary visits to Philadelphia,
was stationed there permanently; Thomas Westcott, in his
History of Philadelphia, says the number of his congregation at that time consisted of eleven persons. The
statements of Mr. Westcott are deserving of great confidence; his History of Philadelphia is prepared under very
favorab1e circumstances ; he has labored hard to secure
accuracy, and he is a gentleman of diligence and erudition :
but I think, in this instance, he has been mistaken. The
late dearly loved Father Barbelin, S. J., during the many
years he was stationed at St. Joseph's, collected from all
�St. 7:Jscph's C'lmrclt, Philadelphia
relidble sources, memoranda and valuable data, with regard
to the history of the Church. At the time of his death
these papers were nearly all scattered-! rescued but one
or two from the dust-bin. \Vhen our late Father Provincial, Very Rev. Angelo Paresce, was preparing to leave for
Rome, as Procurator of the Province of Maryland, I compiled, at the command of Father Joseph Felix Barbelin,
Rector of St. Joseph's College, from these data, a "History
of St. Joseph "s Church," which Father Paresce carried to
Rome, and I distinctly remember that a paper, I think one
of the earliest numbers of the "Catholic Herald," stated
that Father Greaton's first congregation was made up of
eleven families, in all about forty persons. The descendants
of some of these families are still living in Philadelphia,
Alas! not all in the communion of the Church. Father
Greaton, on his way to Philadelphia, stopped at the house
of Mrs. Doyle a Catholic lady, who gave him a letter of
introduction, it is said, to a wealthy Catholic gentleman
residing at \Valnut and Front Streets. The name of this
gentleman has nevef been learned, nor can the house be
pointed out. I have heard it said, I know not if on reliable
authority, that this gentleman was a Mr. Corcoran, residing
in Walnut above Third, in a house which stood west of the
present North entrance to the Church. Father Greaton
had before visited Lancaster and formed the nucleus of the
congregation of St. Mary's Church, afterwards evangelized
by Father Geisler, S. J., and over which the venerable Very
Rev. Bernard Keenan, Vicar-General, and at one time Administrator, of the Diocese of Harrisburg, has so long presided. Rev. Mr. Keenan was ordained in 1821, being the
first priest ordained in Philadelphia.
So little of that freedom of conscience, for the enjoyment
of which Penn and his companions had left the English
coasts, was allowed in Philadelphia at that time, that Father
Greaton was accustomed to assume the garb of a Quaker,
whenever he visited the City. Father Greaton's 'finances
�20
St. 7oscplt's Clmrc!t, P!ti!adclp!tia.
must have been in a flourishing condition, for the residence
which he commenced in 1732, and completed in 1733, was
a large, substantially-built mansion; it is stiii standing and
forms a part of the College of St. Joseph. It was a tenroomed house, two stories high, three rooms on each floor,
with four garrets. Father Greaton received about this time,
from England, some valuable paintings, three of which are
now extant. One of our Holy Founder, St. Ignatius, is in
room No 9, commonly called the Provincial's Room; it is
inserted in the wood-work forming the mantle. Another,
a master-piece representing St. Francis of Assisium is in
the principal parlor. The third, an Ecce Homo dark with
age, is in the loft, keeping company with a fine painting of
Saint Theresa, being pierced with the dart of divine love, a
present of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. The countenance
of the Saint in this painting is truly angelic-the principal
objection, however, is that the clothing of the Angel is not
suited to the rigors of our winters. In the principal parlor
are other valuable paintings; one is by Pennsylvania's great
painter, Benjamin West. It was executed in Rome and sent
to Father Farmer, S. J., as a token of gratitude for the letters
of introduction given by him to various artists in the Eternal
City. This picture is supposed by some to represent the
flight of Agar, but an infant of four. and five can scarcely be
supposed to represent a healthy lad of sixteen and seventeen. My opinion is that West intended it for the return
of the Holy Family from Egypt. Our Blessed Mother sits
upon the grass-grown mound, giving to.Her Son and Lord
a refreshing drink, Gabriel stands ready to supply should
more be needed, while our Holy Father stands in the distance, with joy contemplating his miraculous Spouse and
Her still more miraculous Son, n:inistered to by a prince
of Heaven. In this same parlor is another large painting,
representing the Adoration of the Shepherds-it is a picture
that requires study to appreciate its beauties. Little St.
Joseph's is rich in paintings. In No 6., generally named
�St. :JJs.:plz's Clmrclz, Plziladelplzia.
21
the "Willing's Alley Parlor"-is a fine painting brought
from Ro:ne by Father Ryder representing the Angel trumpeting to Saint Jerome the Judgment. This painting has
been copied by artists from the North, and South, and \Vest.
In this same parlor is a portrait of St. Francis de Sales,
taken during life, and kept as an heir-loom in the "Hayes
Family," connections of the Bishop of Geneva, and presented by them to Father Barbelin. In the Church are many
old and valuable paintings; not to speak of the Crucifixion
and others by Don Pedro Martinez, of which I will have to
speak hereafter, ther~ are two very large ones, the first representing the death of St. Joseph, hung before the choir and
another in the South gallery representing Queen Esther
before King Assuerus and his courtiers, one of whom is
gazing at the Queen through a modern eye-glass. In the
galleries is a collection of paintings, valuable, if not for their
artistic merits of which they are not deficient, at least for
their age. There are in the body of the Church, a Madonna
and a Crucifixion, brought from Rome, by Father Ryder,
both greatly admired, as well as a splendid "St. Aloysius
Gonzaga," which hangs over the East Confessional.
The original Church was a room eighteen feet by twentytwo, which had very much the appearance of an out-kitchen,
and so it was considered by the family of Mrs. Baker of
whom I have spoken before. Although adorned with a
chimney instead of a cross, it did not long escape the notice
of the vigilant Quakers. Indeed it could not well do so, as
it was almost contiguous to what must have been one of
the largest buildings of the times, the old "Quakers' AlmsHouse." This ancient edifice was some years ago torn down
to make room for improvements. To an out-building, standing in the large garden, were added four small dwellings,
the number of inmates at the time being five. The ground
cannot be sold while any of the five live. They have all
died but one maiden lady named Nancy Brewer, who lives
in the old out-building covered with its green ivy and bright
�22
St. Yoscp!t's C!turc!t, P!ti!addp!tia.
trumpet flowers, and whose roses, pinks, sweet-williams,
bird-eyes, ring-fingers, wandering-sailor, and our more
flaunting tulips with modest lilies-of-the-valley often ~rake
fragrant our Mother's altar at St. Joseph's. Nearly three
years since I met the ancient dame now much over her
allotted three score years and ten, erect, active, having never
used eye-glasses or a walking stick. I envied her, her memory. Nancy had come out into \Villing's Alley to view
the excavations for the gigantic offices of the "Pennsylvania
Rail-Road Company." I was on my way to a not-verypressing sick-call. Mrs L ... s, our estimable next-door
neighbour., who was doing the honors ~f the occasion, said:
"Nancy, here is Father ...... , Susan Evan's son." "Her
youngest," replied Nancy, "born after Patrick's death."
She could tell me, in regular order, the names of my elder
brothers and sisters, their ages, the color of their eyes, and
seemed to have a pretty· good idea of their disposition. ·
It would give me great pleasure to pay this venerable
Friend-friend in ~wo senses-an occasional visit, as I
think I could glean from her conversation many interesting
facts concerning the Church during the years preceding its
restoration to the Society, but she is not a little superstitious, and as I have the fortune, good or bad, to be a posthumous, I am invested in her eyes with a supernatural
power of curing diseases.
·
When a little boy, I was often sent to Nancy to buy
dried herbs for cooking purposes. Nancy made much of
me, I was her "white haired boy".-I am now one in real~
ity. First, I was asked for one of my "coal-black locks",
not "to keep away rats", but as an amulet to avert an impending attack of typhus. Next, the old simpleton regretted she had no tow (an easy conscience prevented any
fear of hanging), "but wouldn't I return to twist some for
her when she got it ?" She intended to wear it on her right
arm to cure the erysipelas in her left knee. The life of this
venerable virgin is now of some importance to us, and I
�Sf. :hsr:plt's
Clt~trclt,
Pltiladelpltia.
23
often pray that she may be spared to sell her "eye-water"
and "dried yarbs" to the old families of Philadelphia, for
at least eighteen month!' lom~'er. For; I am told. the "Old
Quaker Alms-house ground" has been sold to the Pacific
Rail Road Company, on condition that they obtain posse'>sion of it within three years;' the posses,ion depends on
Nancy's death. Already twenty months have passed. If
this company obtain possession within the specified time, it
is their intention to raise another Rail Road Palace, which
will bury old St. Joseph's, as in a tomb. Many join me
in praying, that my venerable friend, Nancy Brewer: may
live to do justice to a good New Year's dinner (the old
lady likes good things) on the Ist of January, 1874.
The erection of a Romish Chapel did not long escape
Quaker intolerance. As early as July 25th, 1734 II quote
from \Vestcott\ the matter was brought to the notice of the
Pro'vincial Council. At a meeting of this august body, held
on this date, over which Lieutenant Governor Patrick Gordon presided, and at which Thomas Penn, one of the proprietors was present, we find the following minutes:
"The Governor then informed the Board that he was under no small
concern to hear thai a house lately built in Walnut Street, in this City,
had been set apart for the exercise of the Roman Catholic religion, and is
commonly called tlie Romislt Ollappel, where several persons, he understands, resort on Sundays to hear mass openly celebrated by a Popish
priest: that he conceives the tolerating of the publick exercise of that
religion to be contrary to the laws of England, some of which (particularly the eleventh and twelfth of King William the Third) are extended
to all his majesty's dominions. But those of that persuasion here, imagining they have a right to it from some general expressions in the charter
Qf privileges granted to the inhabitants of this government by our late
honorable Proprietor, he was desirous to know the sentiments of the
Board on the subject
It was observed hereupon, that if any part of the said charter, was
inconsistent with the laws of England, it could be of no force, it being
contrary to the express terms of the royal charter to the Proprietary.
But the council having sat long, the consideration thereof was adjourned
to the next meeting, and the said laws and chartex:s were then ordered
to be laid before the Board."
�24
St. 7oseplz"s Clwrclz, Plu!addp!ti,l.
So the matter rested for a month, a month, no doubt, of
great anxiety to Father Greaton and l11s iorty d1scip1<::s.
At the next meeting of the Counc1l, hdd July 31st-the
matter was again considered:
"The minutes of the preceding council being read and approved, ~he
consideration of what the Governor then laid before the board touching
the Popish chappell was resumed, and the charter of privileges, with the
laws of the Province concerning liberty, being read, and likewise ihe
statute of the eleventh and twelfth of King William the Third, chapter 4;
it was questioned whether the said statute, notwithstanding the general
words in it, "all others his majesty's dominions," did extend to the plan~
tations in America, and, admitting it did, whethPr any prosecution could
be carr.ed on .here by virtue thereof while the aforesaid law of this province, passed so long since as the fourth year of her late Majesty, Queen
Anne, which is five years posterior to the said statute, stands unrepealed.
And under this difficulty of concluding upon anything certain in the
present case, it is left to the Governor, if he thinks fit, to represent the
matter to our superiors at home, for their advice and directions in it."
From this it would seem that our early "City Father;;"
acted in a very deliberate and temporizing manner. But
although Westcott says: "It is certain that thl:re was no
further attempt made to meddle with St. Joseph's Church,
which went on slowly increasing in numbers without molestation;"* tradition tells that three times did the British
soldiery level it \vith the ground, and that, bn the fourth
occasion, father Henry Neale, S.]., .used a little of the "pru:
dence of the serpent," vulgarly called "Jesuit cunning," and
by filling the stomachs of the Britishers saved the Church:
Kalni, a S\vedish traveler, shortly after this, in I 748- I 7 50,
speaking of the Chapel, says : "the Roman Catholics have
in the southwest part of the town a great lwuse; which is
well adorned within, and has an organ."t He speaks of
the house of which the Chapel was an appendage. No
account, I have met with, mentions the house as having
been attacked, our early Church destroyers, unlike their
itnitatoi:s of 1844, respected private property.
*"History of Philadelphia," Ch. CXV.
tidem.
�St. :hsrplz's Clmrclt, Pltiladelplzia.
In our times, it is nften asked, why was St. Joseph's built
in so obscure, secluded a situation? Its very seclusion is to
m<ny_ its peculiar charm. How pleasant for its congregation, always noted for its union and friendly fellowship, to
meet before and after each service, in its shady quadrangle
and talk of Church and family matters. It is Sunday: as
they crowd out after the early masses, how many an anxious enquiry, how many a word of sympathy and consolation is spoken? Then comes the children's mass at 8.30,
happy urchins! they love St. Joseph's, they love it because
they are happy there--the joyous shout that seems almost
irreverent, springs irrepressibly from joyous hearts. So
merry and so happy are they, they cannot help forgetting
the Fourth commandment and being wanting in proper
respect for the aged members of the "old-gentlemen's Sodality", who are now assembling as chatty as "maidens of
sixteen," and who will soon make the venerable 'walls of
that loved Church resound with notes, not a~quired in the
conservatories of Naples or of Paris, but notes which reecho through Heavenly courts, and which angels accompany on well-tuned harps. How many a saint, now a member of St. Cecilia's choir, joyously smiles as he thinks of
his "ora pro nobis" in the North aisle of lowly St. Joseph's.
Now they are assembling for the late mass: here is a group
of the "Fathers in Israel" ; of what are they debating? the
rise in Erie ? the awards of Geneva ? no ! "Has that old
woman in Gatzmer Street been visited?" "Why, t\lat man,
you know, with the. club-foot, hah three you~g children,
two girls and one boy, we must do flomething for hit:n:
Let us, at least, send the girls to the Sisters' school." There
is a party of laughing, romping lads, what are they dis~uss~
ing ? the last "Base Ball Match ?" "the innings of the P,...thl~.ti.cs, or the foui~ of the Red-Stocking~?" no! "It's ~y turn
to serve to-day." "l'fo, it isn't, we go up, w~ do~·.i: go down.
John L. ~ . and Michael ri .... served l~st Sunday, it's our
tur!l tp~day." "Do y~~ know your piece ·f.o~ this afternoq~?
•
'
-'
••
•
...
•
'.
, .•
_l.jl
•
'
,·
•
•
•
'
••••
�St. Yosep!t's C/wrc!z, P!zi!adc!p!z:a.
Father ... will be jolly mad if you break down in Sunday
School.". "I don't care, he only gave me n·y part on Friday-! wouldn't have got it if G.:rald h::tdn't been sick"
Do you see that red, cheerful, smiling face, m'lking all
smile who look upon it, crowned with a halo of golden r-ed
hair? That face belongs to a true son of Ignatius. Not.
to the sainted founder of St. Joseph's, Joseph Greaton, but to
the Apostle of Philadelphia, the loved Joseph Felix Barbelin.
Listen to him as he comes limping down the steps, a decade
of boys surround him; "Have you settled that difficulty
with l\1r.·N .... ?" "Father, it wasn't my fault." "Better
get the -Iines,-if you don't deserve them this time, you
have on many other occasions." "I didn't see you at communion. on last Sunday! "Humph! humph! humph!"·
"How is your sister? will she be at Sunday School, this
afternoon? Humph!".
:.As steel is drawn by the magnet, in the meanwhile, the
veterans have been drawn nearer. "Humph ! Y e-.:s-the
tickets-:-all ready? "-"don't forget the advertisement in
th~ Ledger, humph! humph!" ''What's the matter with
Mr. F .... ? he hasn't been to the Sodality for two Sun·
days,-humph ! " An old "apple-/ad}'," who has been following his limping steps, with ill-shod feet, and lifted hands,
and open mouth, and happy smili~g face, now catches his
eye and drops a profound courtesy-"Yes, Norah, next Friday will be the first Sunday in the month,-don't forget the
Devotion to the ·Sacred Heart." Passing is a lady dressed
in the height of the fashion-"Humph! Miss-eh! don't
forget Sunday School to-day." A smile and a bow is his
answer. Look at that old man with a cane, why does he
hasten so? mass will not be begun for ten minutes yet.
He wants to hear: "Good music to-day, Martin; Haydn's
No 4; Father .... preaches." So a word. to most, a word
like good seed, J?lessed by God, and a smile for all.
.. T~e late mass is over-see him again at his post, a word,
a smile, a shake of the hand, the old and the young, the
�St. · 7oscpks Clwrclz, Pltiladclplzia.
I
'
27
rich and the poor, the saint and the sinner-:-the Irishman
with his rich brogue, the German with his golden locks,
the French Madame with her flowers and bows, the Italian
\vith his swarthy complexion, the Spaniard or Mexican with
his stately carriage-the American with his nonchalant air,
yes-the humble African, carrying his cap in his hand, none
Cdn pass without raising the eye to see if he can gain an
answering glance, to gladden his heart on his way home
and form the staple of the dinner-table chat; -while many
stop to speak of a sad bereavement or to tell a sorrow and
hear a word of consolation and encouragement-to whisper
a coming joyful surprise and receive a word of sympathy.
Happy quadrangle, blessed by such steps! Dinner is over.
Listen to those laughs, hear those shouts, look at those
wrestling boys, can this be Sunday in the Quaker City?
Yes, it is the children, the happy children of St. Joseph's,
. waiting for the opening of the Sunday School, waiting for
Father Barbelin (Alas! no longer waitin,; for him, for he is
gone. whither he was so desirous to take them, to Heaven.)
He is gone, but they are there, and he is there in the "tablet in the Southern wall." One of St. Joseph's Sunday
School's daughters, the talented, sweet-singing Eleanor C.
Donnelly, thus writes:
"Once in his life he said-( God rest his soul 1) :
When I am dead I would be glad to lie
Near the old Church, where friends might see my grave,
And breathe a prayer for me as they passed by.
0 rare humility 1 0 saint-like fear 1
'Vhich after years of zealous ministry,
Rested with such a simple child-like faith,
Upon the prayers of sinners such as we.
God's blessing on the earnest heart that held
The words safe treasured :*-and God's blessing fall
* The Compiler of this account, who feels most grateful for the blessing.
�28
S:. :Joscplz's Clmrclz, Plzif,ldclplzi,l.
Like clearest sunshine, on the lives of those
··who set this tablet in the Southern wall.*
It was the one thing needed then and there :
Not that his memory could grow dim and die,
But it was good to see his pleasant face,
And feel him, as a guar~ian angel, nigh.
The footsteps of the children come and go,
Like sounds of summer leaves in pattering rain,
And from the wall their Father's face looks down
.-\.nd seems to smile upon them once again.
Organ may peal, and consecrated chime
Summon the faithful to the holy Mass,
But surest u:agnet of them all-behold!
The fdce that seems to brighten as they pass.
The sinner ling' ring at the gate,
Afraid to enter and confess his sin,
Hears from the marble lips : 'Come, come, dear child!'
And mao!ered by old memories-goes in.t
Blest are the dead who in the Lord repose,
For their works follow them,-yea, holy priest !
-The very meekness of the sculptured face
· Wins s0uls to Heaven, though thy life has ceased.
0 Christ! who wept when gentle Lazarus diedSend quiet rains upon this Tablet white;
And let thy sunshine gild his brow by day,
Thy moonbeams softly silver it hy night.
Silent, he seems to list~n to th~ hum
Of chil1ish voices in the sunny yard,
Within-the sweet Lord holds His court: withoutDear FS\ther Barbelin keepeth watch and ward."
June 8th, 1870.
* The Fr. Barbelin }Iemorial Association.
t This predictio!J. has mor~ than once been verified .
. ··' ... ·
'"'
.. '
. .
'
,.:
.
�St. Yoseplt's Clmrclz, Philadelplzia.
At l~:ngth he appears, panting and short-breathed, hilt
s niling still the while. Is the noise stilled? it but grows
the louder, those infant hearts cannot but speaK their happin~ss in joyous shouts: The Sunday School is over-the
Sodalists have sung the office of their Heavenly Motheragain the quadrangle is alive with cheerful voices, not those
of childrt:n now, but those of youths, the young gentlemen
and young lady Sodalists who have finished their devotions
and are waiting the beginning of Vespers. At length the
organ sounds and the quadrangle is nearly deserted. A
joyful "Te Deum" and a solemn "Laudate Dominum" ani
heard and crowds again stream out into the shady enclo.:.
sure. Now it will soon be quiet for the day. Oh, no! the
Rosary is to be recited-the library will soon be openedthe Conference of St. Vincent de Paul cannot disperse without their usual meeting, what would the poor do? Father
This and Father That are to be told, that So and So are veiy
ill, or to be ask~:d: "couldn't you bring Holy Communion
some day this week to Mother?" or to be informed: ''Father,
my brother hasn't been to his duties for years, and is now
dying of the Consumption, he can't last many day~-we
don't live in this parish, we live way down,inSt.-·-·-·sparish: But, Father, he won't have any body but you. Please,
Father, do come and speak with him and get hirn to gci to
confession, and I'll get Father-·-to anoint him." Out of
one door go four or five parties each carrying a little angel,
that a short time before had coine in a little d-1. In the
other enters another party whose flowers and perfume announce a bridal.
The supper bell rings; surely now the quadrangle will be
like a ''banquet hall deserted!" Yes, for a while, except that
some of the guests remain loth to depart. There is a last
request to St. Joseph-a last i•Hail Mary" to be said at our
Mother's Altar- "that she will not let my mother die, that
Charley may come to confession"-a last visit to Jesus in
His Tabernacle of Love-to beg for this favor, to pray that
�30
St. JOS<'}ks Cit: rdt, P/zi!adclp/tia.
that temptation may not overpower-" I cannot. tear myself
away," says an old lady! "it seems so much like Heaven."
The State House Bell-noble bell, even if you are cracked
and useless-glorious old State House Bell-that pealed
the birth-hymn of civil liberty-there is no necessity for
me to sound your paean, soon your praises will be read in
every paper throughout this vast republic. The present
State House Bell strikes seven. vVhat! are the duties of
the day to begin again? No: 1Jut, perhaps, there's a meeting of the colored people, in the basement: perhaps, the
particular Conference of St. Vincent de Paul meets at St.
Joseph's,·this evening: perhaps, the Sodality is to rehearse
for the approaching celebration; perhaps,-but never mind!
there they are, men and women, girls and boys, blackamoor
and Celt, and there he is in the midst of them, listening to
all, conversing with a score at a time, but working out his
own plans the meanwhile. Dear Father, you seem as simple as the dove, but, I know, the cunning of the serpent is
not wanting in you. At half-past nine the iron gate is closed,
and then at last, after sixteen and a half hours, that quadrangle of St. Joseph's is, for a short while, empty and still.
Blessed quadrangle ! Could Father Greaton when he selected the secluded spot, beneath the spreading Walnut
trees, have ever imagined such a s_cene? But then he had
not the happiness of knowing Father Barbelin.
[To be rontinued.]
�FATHER WENINGER ON THE PACIFIC COAST.
SECOND LETTER.
REV. AND VERY DEAR FATHER:
P. C.
The main reason, which led the Most Rev. Archbishop
Alemany to desire my presence in San Francisco, was the
hostile attitude of the German Catholics in that city. Their
church, which was situated near the harbor amidst the din
and bustle of business, had become unsuitable as a house
of God. They were, therefore, thinking of selecting a more
convenient site in the centre of the city, when serious diffi·
culties broke out between the Archbishop and some self·
willed, headstrong members of the Congregation. The matter was taken to the secular courts, and an open rupture
ensued between the chief shepherd and this discontented,
wayward flock. Meanwhile the old church, which was all
of iron, had fallen into utter decay and become actually
unsafe. The innocent, as well as the guilty, thus found
themselves without a temple of their own and were obliged
to offer their adorations in our old College church, which
the Fathers at St. Ignatius had kindly placed at their disposal until they would be provided with more suitable
accommodations.
Such was the state of the congregation on my arrival.
I was expected to bring back these refractory spirits to a ,
sense of duty, to harmonize these discordant elements, to
adjust existing differences and to remove the scandal. I
soon perceived that I had entered upon a new and unexplored field of experience. I felt that the people of California were widely different in character from any that I had
�32
Fr. lVminger
011
tfze Pacific Coast.
hitherto dealt with. They seemed to form a race apart,
almost as unlike their Texan neighbors as they are unlike
the New Englanders. But a mission moves on victoriously,
even amid the most untoward circumstances. It is an irresistable steam-engine of grace, which can grind a heart of
quartz to dust. I opened it at once and continued it for a
fortnight with unequivocal signs of Heaven's approval.
Strengthened in their faith and renewed in spirit, the
Germans resolved to be Catholics in deed as \Yell as in
name. They wished to buy another lot immediately, and
without further delay to build a church and school-house
of their o\vn. But there were still great obstacles to remove.
Up to that time, the Archbishop had refused giving his
,consent, until the law-suit would have been decided. Besides this, the authors of the trouble had spread the rumor
that, even should they gain the case, his Grace would never
allow the Germans to build a church for their own exclusive
use.
I undertook to represent the case to the Archbishop
during the course of the mission. I insisted that, if he
wished it .to be successful, he must accede to the present
wishes of the Congregation, and that he must himself lay
on the altar, in the presence of the people, the document
entitling the Germans to erect a ne~v church destined exclusively for their use. I even went so far as to dictate to him
the words in which he was to address them, in order to
allay their suspicions. The prelate agreed to my every
proposal with edifying humility, and his lenient, conciliatory conduct produced the happiest results. A new lot
was purchased for about thirty thousand dollars in a very
eligible part of San Francisco, and a large building was
erected containing under one roof a temporary church and
school-house.
Immediately after this mission, I was invited to give one
in English in the church of St. Francis of Assisi, which is
under the direction of the Dominican Fathers. I answered
�Fr. TVmi11ger
011
tlzc Pacific Coast.
33
the call with the greatest pleasure, because the journey to
San Francisco, for the sole purpose of giving one mission
to a single German parish, really seemed too long.. Having
come so far, I wished to do as much good as possible along
the Pacific Coast. I cannot give the reader a better idea
of the success which attended my efforts and of the consolatipns which I enjoyed, than by quoting an extract from
an article, which appeared on that occasion in the San
Fran cisco llfonitor.
"One of the most successful Missions ever given in California, closed on Monday evening last, at the Church of
St. Francis in this city. The well established fame of the
Missionary, his towering zeal for the reclamation of sinners,
his forcible eloquence, his celebrity as an author of many
important works of a devotional character, all naturally attracted great numbers to see and hear him. No one was
disappointed.
"From the first day of the mission the confessionals were
crowded. Certain days of the week were set apart for the
special instructions of married men, married women, young
men and young women, and the numbers which filled the
beautiful church on all occasions bear testimony to the intense interest manifested by all classes. Ten Confessors
were almost constantly in attendance.-Sunday morning
last at half past five the Church was filled with men of all
ages; women being excluded. Every member of that vast
Congregation approached the altar; old, young, and middle
a~ed-presenting a more edifying spectacle, than was ever
Witnessed within a Church in San Francisco.
"At last Mass, the renewal of the baptismal vows took
place. At the close of the sermon the Sanctuary was
~rowded with boys and girls, a number of the latter dressed
m white, with flowing veils and wearing wreaths of roses.
In the centre of the platform, elevated above the children,
who surrounded the altar dais, stood the Missionary. In a
voice clear and distinct, he ordered the Congregation to
stand up, and to every question, one loud and solemn reply
attested the sublimity of that strong christian faith, which
enables the sincere Catholic to hold himself in readiness,
to _die for his religion. The fervor of their responses, the
VOices of the children ringing in a clear treble above the
�34
Fr. IVminger
011
the Pacific Co.ut.
deeper tones of the Congregation, and again the solemn
exhortations of Father \Veninger, beseeching them to keep
faith forever pure in their souls, sent an electric thrill through
the people, which found vent in tears of ineffable joy.
"Monday evening the Blessing of the Mission Cross took
place and the Papal Benediction was administered. For
this o~casion the Altar and Sanctuary were decorated with
flowers and evergreens in extraordinary profusion. H l!ndreds of lights dazzled around and upon the Altar, and
numerous little girls arrayed in white were ranged along the
rails of the Sanctuary. A splendid instrumental band and
an increased choir also lent additional interest to the ceremonies. The effect was grand and replete with those soulelevating-~ensations, which the ceremonies of the Church
of God can alone impart. Tuesday was set apart for the
enrollment of hundreds of children in the Confraternity of
the Holy Infants. The offering amounted to $I 16 in gold.
By this act the spiritual exercises in the parish of St. Francis were brought to a close,-a work which can never be
effaced from the memory of any one who attended them.
"The splendid Mission Cross, some twelve feet in length,
was placed in a niche over St. Joseph's Altar, and the magnificent inscription in gold letters across the arms, "He that
shall persevere to the end, shall be saved," will always serve,
to remind those, who attended the Mission of I 869, that
their promises of amendment will avail them nothing, unless they keep them unsullied and unbroken, to the end.
"How consoling to the 1\'Iissionary's heart must be the
pleasure of this his first fruit among.the English speaking
Catholics of the Pacific Coast t In common with others we
rejoiced, that in the midst of the tirades of an Anti-Catholic
Press the Church moves forward with gigantic strides drawing still closer around her devoted children, and adding
many a stray sheep, which is not yet of the flock, to the
one fold and the one shepherd. Several professions of faith
took place, and others are being instructed previous to their
reception into the Church."
From San Francisco I passed on to Maiysville and gave
a Retreat to the clergy in the diocese of Grass Valley. It
is presided over by Bishop 0: Connel, who had wished me
since p1any years back to give the spiritual exercises to
his flock. Thanks be to Heaven, the first effects were most
�I
Fr.
~Vmingt'r Oil
tile Pacific Coast.
35
consoling to his heart and to mine. Indeed, according to
my experience,' no mission is accompanied with such copious showers of grace as one given to priests.
As our Fathers are frequently called upon to give Retreats to the Clergy, they will not consider it out of place
here to record what personal experience has taught concerning this particular kind of mission. In the first place, I
regard an absolute silence as an indispensable condition for
complete success. To ensure this point, a Retreat to all
the priests in common should never exceed three or four
days. A full Triduum, with an introduction on the eve of
the first day and a concluding meditation on the morning
of the fourth, is quite s~fficient. Priests, as a general rule,
are very willing to close their lips for three or four days,
but no longer.
If it is not possible, for want of sufficient accommodation,
to furnish them all with private rooms, the large halls in
which they are lodged, should be partitioned off with curtains, and each one be provided with separate compartment to which he may retire to avoid the temptation of
speaking. Each of these little cells or rooms should be
supplied with paper, pen and ink, but especially with some
ascetical work or the life of a Saint.
During these three days, I am in the habit of giving
eleven Meditations and three Conferences. I do not content myself with merely explaining the points to them, and
then leaving them to meditate by themselves. As a general rule, they are not accustomed to meditate, and if abandoned to themselves are apt to spend the time in an idle,
listless way with but little profit to their souls. It is much
better to stay with them the whole hour and go through
the Meditations with them, suggesting such pious affections
and resolutions as the subject naturally calls forth. After
this, they may withdraw to their own apartments and spend
a quarter of an hour in pondering over what they have
heard. This exercise, which our Holy Father calls the
a
�36
Fr. 1Vming-cr on t!tc R1cijic Coast.
"Regustatio Spiritus," often contributes more than the l\Ieditation itself to inspire them with salutary resolutions. I
also make the particular examen with them at noon and at
night. This enables me to rekindle their fervor, to dwell
upon the importance of silence and retirement and to move
them to still greater fidelity during the following half day.
At night, after the points have been explained, the Blessed
Sacrament is exposed upon the altar, the "l\Iiserere" is sung
by all, the Benediction given and night prayers recited in
common.
A Retreat conducted in this manner cannot fail, it seems
to me, to ·be crowned with success. If, after eleven Med1
itations and three Conferences, a p riest is not renewed in
spirit, if he is not resolved to make a good confession and
to lead a life worthy of his high calling, no good need be
expected from him by protracting the exercises of the Retreat. He will only grow more and more weary of his present condition, because he is out of the common routine of
daily life to which 'he has become accustomed, and probably deprivc.d of many little creature comforts which he
enjoys at home. If he has not been cured by the terrorstriking considerations of the first three days, he is apt to
nauseate less fearful subjects altogether, to turn the most
wholesome spiritual food into dea~ly poison and only add
to the weight of his accountability-before God. At the
very least, you must expect that he will throw off the irksome restraint put upon him and show but little regard for
silence and recollection. I sometimes say, in connection·
with this subject: St. Paul had made a Retreat of but·three
days, when the scales fell from his eyes. If they do not
fall from the eyes of a sinful priest after the same length of
time, they will not fall off at all ; on the contrary, there is
danger of their hardening and becoming still more difficult
to remove. A' French Bishop has justly remarked; "Un
pretre, qui n'est pas converti a Ia troisieme journee, est
tue par Ia quatrieme ;-a priest, who is not converted on the
third day, is killed by the fourth."
�Fr. IVcningcr on t!te Pacific Coast.
37
Besides, if the Retreat begins on Monday or Tuesday
evening and finishes on Friday or Saturday morning, a
goodly nu<nber of priests can attend without depriving their
congregations for a single Sunday of divine worship. The
priests themselves will be less reluctant to repeat such a
Retreat, as often as an occasion offers ; and the Father who
gives it, will save time "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam."
\Vhile I was thus engaged, I received a letter from his
Grace, Archbishop Blanchet of Oregon, inviting me to give
missions in all his dioceses. He urged me to ".:;eize time
by the forelock" and be ahead of the cold season which
would soon b<: upon u ~. The Bishop of Marysville, on the
other hand, advised me to defer the missions in his diocese
on ac<:ount of the intense heat. Accordingly, I ~esolved to
consult the wishes of both of these prelates as well as the
comfort of the people, and to start immediately for Oregon.
Before asking my readers to accompany me thither in spirit,
I trust they will allow me to detain them a little on what has
been to me a subject of heartfelt consolation.
In Marysville, which I was just going to quit for a season,
I fell in with some distinguished American converts, who
had been brought to the fc<ith by reading my little volume
on "Protestantism and Infidelity;" and elsewhere I discovered to my great surprise that, through that book, I was
almost better known among Americans on'the Pacific Coast
than in the Atlantic Cities. The San Francisco Monitor
almost reproduced the work in its columns; and in the
Railway car~, as well as on the boats, converts addressed
me who had perused its pages and who expressed the most
cordial joy on seeing its author.
Among the unknown friends, whose acquaintance I thus
unexpectedly made, was a man from the great "Indian Reservation" on the Pacific Coast, who once sent me a letter
to Buffalo to announce an extraordinary conversion. Two
stray copies of"Protestantism and Infidelity" had found their
way to the "Reservation," and one of these had been put
�38
Fr. TVmingcr o1z tlte Pacific Coast.
into the hands of an American, who had been committed
to prison for murder. He read it, recognized the claims of
our holy Faith and was received into the bosom of the
Church. \Vhile standing upon the gallows, previous to his
execution, he addressed the crowd ; and confessing his
crime, he thanked God who out of so enormous an evil, had
been pleased to draw so great a good for his soul. He
expressed the firm confidence that being now a member of
the true and only saving Church of Christ, he would appear
cleansed from his sins in the presence of a merciful Judge,
and despite his past iniquities would be admitted to the
joys of hei!-ven. As was expected his words made a deep .
impression on the people; and when I heard of the occurrence, I immediately sent fifty more copies for distribution
among the protestants in that part of the country.
I have taken the liberty to state these particulars, notas I[.hope-from any selfish satisfaction, but from a desire
to confirm by fresh, living examples and personal experience what every member of the Society already knows from
our annals and family traditions-that good books are one
of the most powerful weapons, which we can wield as soldiers of the cross. Yet, often, perhaps, we practically underrate their importance and feel tempted to abandon the labor
of composition altogether, for the more exciting and possibly more attractive duties of the.imlpit.
Had I come to this country dumb, I would never regret
having crossed the ocean, so long as I would have been
allowed to use my pen, and spread my works abroad. Up
to the present I have been enabled by my own exertions
to circulate books to the amount of some two hundred
thousand dollars ; and I engage all my brethren to use
their individual as well as their united efforts in a similar
undertaking. Their eloquence can' attract but a limited
number of hearers, and at best must cease with their lives;
their writings may be read .and reread by millions and continuethe ,good begun, when the authors themselves have
�Fr. IVmiugcr on tit<· Pacific Coast.
39
gone to their reward. I should only feel too happy. if a'~ord of recommendation from me would induce many to
walk in the footprints left by_ a Possevin and other distin~
guished writers of the Society, even at a time when the press
was not yet that powerful engine of good or evil which it
has become in our days, and when the Church did not yet
urge her educated and sworn defenders so repeatedly and
so earnestly as our own Pius has done, to counteract the
pernicious influence of the infidel books, slanderous pamphlets and immoral squibs, which stock the literary market
and which are bought up and devoured with such dangerous greed, owing to a want of more wholesome nourishment.
It is for us-who are particularly called upon to break
to the hungry the bread of holy doctrine-to supply this
urgent demand, to diminish this dearth of sound intellectual
food and prevent the children of the h~usehold from famishing, or begging for a poisoned crumb at the door of a
stranger. Great, beyond measure, was the encouragement
I received, when the Holy Father. himself wrote to me;
that by my work on the "Infallible Authority of the Pope,"
I had done more good than by all the missions which I
had given throughout the States. Certain it is that, should
God require me to renounce either the meritS gained by
my sermons or those gained by my books, 1 should exclaim
without hesitation: "Leave me those of my books, l renounce those of my sermons;"
Such considerations as these were almost enough to attach my heart to Marysville. I embarked, however, for
Oregon in the beginning of September, and felt happy in
the thought that I· was traveling on the same ocean, on
which St. Francis Xavier had traveled in his missionary
expeditions of old. It is called the Pacific; but along the
shores of California up towards· Oregon and· Washington
Territory, this appellation is seemingly a lucus a ?ton lu~
cendo. The tide nearly always runs high; and chafing· with'
�40
Fr. 1Vminger
ott
the Pacific Coast.
reckless fury bears you along on a crest of foam. I particularly recollect the terror of a New Englander one stormy
day, as he looked in horror out upon the seething mountains of water, and ever and anon repeated the significant
exclamation "awful ! awful ! "
However as I had the first cabin on board, I was able to
say Mass every day. I never sacrificed to Neptune on sea,
and to my comfort I discovered, that though the Pacific
was rough, its waves were quite different from those of the
Atlantic. On the latter, particularly about the Gulf of Mexico, they are sharp and broken; on the former-possibly
because ~9f the difference in the temperature-they rise
gradually like extensive hills, an.d consequently in stormy
weather the motions of the steamer are not so violent.
As our route lay along the shore, we enjoyed the grand
and truly picturesque scenery presented by the mountain
chains, and particularly by the towering heights of Mt.
Shasta. The deep too added its share to the romance of
the trip. The many whales that perform their awkward
gambols, apparently for the diversion of the traveler, and
the seals or sea-lions that cover the passing rocks-all
entertain him on his way and relieve that e?mm: which is
seen to come over the majority of men, when for days in
succession they see nothing but the same monotonous expanse of sea and sky. The oceari ·itself was often to me an
object of intense wonder and delight, when in the evening,
at a certain angle of the setting sun, all its massive waves
seemed to be changed into so much liquid silver and cast
a brilliant sheen around us.
After a pleasant voyage,we approached at last the dreaded
"Columbia Bar"-one of the most difficult places to pass,
on account of the masses of sand gathered at the mouth of
that mighty river. It is lined on both sides by fortifications
-the one called Fort Stevens, the other l<ort Disappointment. The name of the latter may have originated in the
disappointment of those who had expected to come into port
�4I
TVoodstock.
there, but who sometimes had to wait for eight or ten days
before they could cross the bar. Fortunately we experienced no difficulty, but went smoothly over to Astoria, and
from thence to Portland, the "Empire City" of Oregon.
And here I must halt awhile, leaving my readers to muse
'over its real or imaginary grandeurs. More in my next.
With many regards
Yours affectionately in Dno.
F. X.
WENINGER.
WOODSTOCK,
JT.S SURROUNDINGS AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS.
I
I
i
I
Our first modest attempts to emulate the example of the
European Scholasticates, by publishing periodical letters
and notices, has, in the remoter parts of our North American provinces and missions, excited a pardonable curiosity
to know more about Woodstock. Anxious as not a few
have shown themselves to glean, be it even from a stray letter, or from an occasional wayfarer, whatever information
they can concerning this young Scholasticate, we must confess we are not a whit less so to gratify their desire, and
fondly to dwell on what the Society has with no niggard
hand provided for the formation and well-being of her children. It is for the present the only means of testifying our
gratitude, though at best it is but a poor return for so much
goodness and foresight.
�42
Woodstock.
Under the above heading we purpose to crowd into a few
pages the merest tithe of what may be said on, for us at least,
so interesting a subject. Much will be left for those who
follow in our wake to descant upon in more becoming phrase,
and for this reason at the very outset we bespeak all possible indulgence.
Into the upper waters of the Che~apeake, that bay of
many beauties, one hundred and fifty miles from the Ocean,
the Patapsco discharges the tributes it has received from
torrent, fount and stream among the uplands of what is here
termed the. \Vestern Shore. Even ten miles from its mouth,
the Patapsco is a broad expanse, for which bay or in!rt
would be no misnomer.
At this point, on a site of more than ordinary beauty, rise
on hill-side and terrace the familiar domes and spires of
the Monumental City. It bears, as we all know, the name
of the elder Calvert; but with it is as~ociated also the memory of those wholesouled men, who, without the savage
bigotry of the puritan, dared like dangers, displayed equal
fortitude, shook off the same religious intolerance and
\vould have gained the same, if not greater applause from
men, had they worshipped at any other altar save that of
Truth.
It was befitting that under the shadow of the Metropolitan Church the general America~· Scholasticate should
spring into life. May Providence vouchsafe to it a greater
longevity than that enjoyed a decade of years ago by the
first American Scholasticate, planted by some strange coincidence within two score miles of Plymouth rock. But
while wishing it a more protracted term of usefulness, we
could scarcely augur for it one of more unmingled happiness than that which fell to the lot of Boston College so
long as it endured. There were we gathered together under the kindest of fathers, around whose brow beamed a
something less in keeping with earth than mere human
benevolence, a something suggestive of the halo of the
�••
�-~~--=-
w
�REFERENCES TO THE MAP.
1. Florence Copper Mine.
2. Springfield "
3. Chrome Ore Mines and Crushing Mills.
4. U. S. Arsenal.
5. Bare Hill Copper Mine.
6. New Mount Hope Insane Asylum (Sistpr~ of Charity).
7. Powder Mills.
8. Soap Stone Quarry.
9~ Woodstock Scholasticate.
10. Asbestos Quarry.
11. St. Charles' College (St. Sulpice).
12. Carroll Manor·(Hon. Charles Carroll of Carrollton).
13. Patapsco Female Institute.
14. House of Study (Rcdemptorist~).
15. Academy of Mount de Sales (Sister~ of tlw \"isitntion).
16. Sulphur Springs.
17. Baltimore Alms House.
18. Fort :McHenry.
19. Rock Hill College (Chri~titm Brothers)
;!; Church or Meeting Hous<·.
o l\Iill or Factory.
0
Mine.
s. School.
st. Country Storl'.
b.
Blacksmith or ·whe!'lwright.
��Tvoodstock.
43
martyr, a so:nething akin to the seal the servants of God
are to bear before this wicked world is stricken. Those who
were fortunate enough to live under that mild sway, amidst
brothers of many nations, of many minds, but of one heart,
will easily conceive that iw greater praise can be lavished
on \Voodstock than to say, it justly claims as its birthright
and its inheritance the same public virtues: a similar kindness in the rulers and an equally close bond of fraternal
charity amongst the ruled. This antonomastically is the
virtue of the American Scholastic, and the Great Apostle
or the Beloved Disciple were they to visit in body this religious community made up of so many nationalities could
scarcely do else than marvel at what the world would call
cosmopolitan good-fellowship; but which ennobled by a
higher motive, hallowed by membership with Christ, can be
termed naught else than universal Charity.
To dwell on the personnel of the house, 9r the professional staff, would be presumptuous. The Catholic countries
of the Old \Vorld have been laid under contribution.
vVe have but to thank our Mother the Society for her discernment. \Ve repeat for the hundredth time it is true, but
it will be a more emphatic declaration in these pages, that
all are enraptured with their kindness, their devotedness
and . . . . reparabi!is adsonat ec!to.
Blest therefore by Providence, as is this house, with the
best available talent of our European provinces, it is not the
less favored by nature, when. we consider the advantages of
its position. As to what may have been the object of the
founders of the Society in expressing the wish that its scholastic youth be trained in the great centres of the Old World,
we shall not stop to enquire; but as things since then have
undergone a radical change, and since the great catholic
universities have all but ceased to exist, there are few drawbacks and many unquestionable advantages in solitude. It
favours study and a religious spirit which should go hand
in hand with learning ; there are charms, as we were told in
�44
~Voodstock.
youth in poetic strain, which sages have seen in the £<ce of
Solitude : to these charms 'vVoodstock can lay claim, for
\Voodstock before all is a solitude.
Some fifteen miles in a direct line from the city, it is fully
five and twenty by rail, owing to the windings of the Patapsco which the Baltimore and Ohio railroad follows in its
route. This great thoroughfare of western traffic on leaving
Baltimore deviates, as may be seen by consulting the accompanying map, first to the southwest until it reaches the
Relay House, where it effects a junction with the Washington line. Here it abruptly turns to the northwest, enters at
Illchester th~ gorge hewn out of the solid rock during the
lapse of ages by the falls of the Patapsco, traverses Ellicott's
City, and crossing and re-crossing the river at Elysville, after many windings, finally passes the village of 'vVoodstock
on its way to the Cumberland coal region and the far West.
The hills on either side of the river are abrupt and in many places precipitous, crowned with cedar groves, or woods
of oak, maple, hickory, the tulip poplar, the gum, the fragrant" sassafras and the more humble dogwood, whose profuse white flowers in the full bloom of spring are in striking contrast with the crimson blossoms of the Judas-tree,
and whose blood red berries in the glow of an Indian summer show even brighter than the brilliant hues of our American forests in autumn.
The rocky sides of the river-slopes are studded with
mountain laurel, and so thoroughly are its branches interwoven, that it forms all but an impenetrable thicket, affording safe covert for rabbit, fox and quail, while the glades
and snatches of neglected cle~rings or fallow lands are fairly
resplendent with the beautiful azalea.
A hundred feet or more above the river bed stretches out
a table land of more or less rolling country, broken more
and more the nearer you approach the course of the numerous i<u·ger streams, which from north-west to south-east
traverse the countries bordering on the Chesapeake.
• I
���Bloodstock.
45
It is on the brow of one of these eminences of more
gradual <'.scent that we first catch a glimpse of the Scholas·
ticate. Its appearance is about that portrayed in the accompanying sketch, which was taken from a point scarcely
thirty feet below the level of the front garden. The main
portion of the hill does not enter into the picture.
There is an object almost at the outskirts of the sparse
woods fringing the crest of the hill which arrests our attention as we advance. It is a nondescript edifice as yet without roof, and bears, as it now stands, a striking resemblance
to those platforms which adorn the gartm of the Teuton.
From this position the scene is indeed one to be despised
by no lover of nature. The serpentine course of the Pa~
tapsco, so far down beneath us that the noise of its waters
as they dash over the rocks at the ford is toned down to a
gentle murmur: the vista between the hills, whose rough
contour is softened by the woodlands on their slopes: the
strip.offertile meadow at the margin of the stream: the
island with its rank growth of reeds and willows, the stream
itself silvered by distance and the play of light: the pearly
mist hanging veil-like midway down the valley, and the
haze at the borizon, which, with more than artist's skill,
heightens the atmospheric perspective: the stark piers of the
broken bridge suggestive of scenes of violence amidst one
of peace and beauty; such in a few hurried strokes is the
rough outline of a charming picture, simple in itself, without
grandeur in complex or detail, but one on which the eye
reposes with pleasure, as in it, as in all else in nature, it finds
the beauty of proportion and of color, it discovers the handiwork of Him who reared alike the ponderous peaks of the
Matterhorn and unfolded the smiling plains of Andalusia or
Touraine.
To this add the music of those many minstrels, which
travelers could not have heard when they wrote down our
forests as silent, those minstrels of gaudy plumage from
the robin and mocking-bird of more sombre hue to the ori-
I
�11 oodstock.
ole, the cardinal, the humming-bird, the mottled thrush and
of a thousand others, all peculiar to our American shores,
and these charms will be appreciated not by the foreigner
alone. The unpretending hamlet of vVoodstock, consisting
of scarcely a dozen houses, nestles snugly in a fold of the
hills halfway up the southern slope, seemingly unconscious
that it lies within a score of miles of one of the, great centres of American civilization.
'
We have delayed you long, perhaps too long, ad !imina
Sclwlasticonmz. One pause more ere we reach the entrance.
The garden'with its grass plots and many colored platbands
is of but t\\ro summers' growth. It is the result of patient .
toil on the part of the scholastics during their leisure hours.
Those who wish to inspect the interior of the house we
refer to a back number of the Letters a1td Notices, (March
I 870.)
Those on the contrary who still delight to breathe
the open air, we shall lead anon through the shady paths
which have already been so often trodden, and which for
many a coming year will be trodden still more frequently
by the votaries of Philosophy and Theology.
Ana here it would be well to remark that a negative process in describing the site and vicinity of our house would
perhaps afford more satisfaction to those who have sojourned
at one or other of the scholasticates .of France or England.
\Voodstock, it is needless to say, is neither Laval, St.
Achceul, Vals, Fourviere, nor St. Beuno's.
At Laval, St. Michael's overlooks an antiquated city, with
crooked streets and quaint old buildings. Here, on the
contrary, you could easily imagine yourself in a country
but recently settled. The click-clack of the hand-loom,
which greets the ear of the scholastic as he saunters along
the peacefully flowing Mayenne, has on the wild banks of
thePatapsco at this point no corresponding sounds of industry save at times the measured stroke of the woodman's
axe. Neither has the Woodstock student the advantage
�FVoodstock.
47
during th.: midsummer vacation of being welcomed to a
new home* by the mother of a rr.artyr and a saint.
. St. Acha!ul possesses attraCtions of its own. Its shady
alleys of linden, which with matchless symmetry, all but
meet over head so as effectually to exclude the sun's rays
and to catch at the same time 'the faintest breath of the
breeze if stirring; its incomparable garden laid out by a Le
Notre, would scarcely remind an inmate of our house of the
umbrageous by roads and meandering paths through woodlands planted by nature's hand alone, and left untutored in
their wild and exuberant growth. The snug retreat ofCagny
whence philosophy and the classics are banished for the
nonce ; where, we might say without fear of being contradicted by those who have ever passed a fortnight of a summer's month amidst its bowers, the morning excitator assumes the agreeable form of a score or so of nightingales
warbling with persistent energy at your window, and where
the same welcome sound lulls you to repose at night: B~ves
with its ruins and the low turf fields of Longeau, so lately
crimsoned with the noblest blood of France ; Wailly,
Prousul, once the home of the hero of Castelfidardo, Picquigny and the abbatial ruins of Corbie have no place in our
map-And oh t the grand old aisles of Amiens Cathedralever within an easy stage, when the scholastic's only trouble
is to decide whither to bend his steps, we find no term of
comparison for them on this side of the Atlantic, much less
in our immediate vicinity.
Fourviere, fostering in her bosom a sacred shrine, resort
of pious pilgrims, looks down unconcerned upon the bustling streets of the second city of the Gauls. There at her
feet the Rhone and Saone mingle their waters, bearing on
their united floods silken fabrics to the ports of the Mediterranean, and far off in the east one can just catch a
* Villa of Grenousse-Country seat of 1\Ide. Dueoudray.
�1Voodstock.
glimpse of the eternal snows, which mant!t..: the summit of
l\lount Blanc.
\ Vho of us has not heard of Vals even on this side of the
Atlantic? \Vhat few points of resemblance between that
time-honored abode of learning, commanding from its terraced garden a view of Notre Dame de France and l\Iont
Corneille, and our \Voodstock, on whose walls the mortar
is barely dry, round whose name clings as yet scarcely a
memory of the pa<>t. Vals, region of incomparable walks,
village of picturesque surroundings, did ever scholastic under
your roof despair of finding a new object of interest to visit
on the ever ,~;elcome Thurs.day or on any other auspicious
day on that goodly list of extra 'i 1acats, which graced, better
than vignette of gold, your venerable diarium? Extinct
craters, mountains of basalt and trap, les Orgues d'Espally,
le Gerbier, Polignac, Ceysac and a thousand other equally
interesting spots, each claims a day for itself. l\Ions, of all
villas the most agreeabl~, from whose keep the less inclined
to physical exertion can scan a horizon of mountains and
inhale .the bracing air which sweeps up from the ravine of
the Loire, we would welcome you bodily to our shores were
il among the order of things possible. Where in all V elay,
region built up by Titans, can be found~ scene of such wild,
rugged and sublime beauty as that which the philosopher
or theologian commands when looking down upon Les
Horreurs de Ia Loire? Throned on pinnacle of trap, or basaltic column, your eyes repose on the sombre forest of
mountain-pine lying at your feet. Beyond they wander over
luxuriant villages and vineclad slopes; then they take in
the Loire with its all but impossible windings; still further
on across the ever impetuous but pellucid torrent, mountain
on mountain piled, with craggy sides dotted here and there
\Vith sunlit hamlets, or the white towers of feudal strongholds perched on unapproachable sites ; then at the horizon
high aboye the jagged outline of the Cevennes tower the
snow-tapped peaks of the Mezin, perhaps, if in a mild May,
faintly wreathed in the vapors of its melting snow.
�Woodstock.
49
\Ye must also confess that in the vicinity of \V~odstock
few of those spectacles of tender piety, peculiar to Catholic
countries, but exotic in this heretical land, rejoice the religious heart, as they invariably do in the immediate neighborhood of Vals. No gatherings at their thresholds of
indefatigable Ponottes, industriously occupied at their bobbin-work, weaving lace and singing motets in their own peculiar patois, not the less harmoniou? for ·not being understood.
• Your sister scholasticate does not forget that you are yet
sorrowing, but in a religious spirit, for the loss of him whom
all loved more tenderly than a second father. The name
of your late amiable Rector* is en graven on more than one
heart in the far-off land and even under this hospitable roof;
and as he will not be forgotten in our thoughts he will live
also in our prayers ready in turn to bless and assist us should
he already have reached the term of all his hopes and aspirations. The Scholasticate of Woodstock can well sympathize with you in your sorrow, for young.as it is it has
already to lament the long severance, until the day of final
greeting, of eternal fellowship, from the kindest of teachers,
the gentlest of hearts, the most beloved where all are held
so dear.t The loss is wholly ours, and we mean not to repine, since he has already met with his reward for the many
years he has toiled in the vineyard of his Master; and as
we bend over the new-made grave in that little grove
which crowns the hill, those sweet lines of Callanan break
spontaneously from our lips:
Oh ! 'tis a placid rest;
Who should deplore it !
Trance ot the pure and blest,
Angels watch o'er it I
Sleep of his mortal night.,
Sorrow can't break it;
Heaven's own morning light
Alone shall awake it.
*Father J. B. Rouquayrol.
t Father Charles 1'!1. Maldonado,
�50
Woods toek.
Nobly thy course is run;
Splendor is round it!
Bravely thy fight is.won;
Freedom hach crowned it!
In the high warfare
Of heaven grown hoary,
Thou'rt gone like the summer sun
Shrouded in glory.
St. Beuno's, last in our enumeration but not so on the
roll of honor, we regret that we are not more familiar with
your surroundings l \Ve have heard of your superb walk
in that land .next to the Highlands of mountain and of
glen ; the fame of your noble oak has reached our ears ;
we have wandered in fancy to the beetling cliff.., of Barmouth, or stood on its long jetty; we have all but bathed
in the surf which breaks on the shingled beach. The little
we can glean from what has been whispered acwss the
waste of waters serves but to whet our curiosity and we
stand ready to be enlightened when convenience or leisure
may allow.
Such then are the physical features of the several Scholastica-tes enumerated. Different in many points, we all
know that they are one in spirit, one in the mode of training, one in their object. All have been chosen with an eye
to our comfort and convenience. Jhe skilful gardener,
when he sets out the young slip in tl1e nursery grounds,
chooses the richest soil, the best irrigated slope, the sunniest
spot, the most sheltered from the northern blast. The nursery grounds of the Society are chosen with like discernment. We are in a word the spoilt children of the Society.
Much as this is exemplified elsewhere it is not the less so
here. We insist not on what is expended on our mental
and spiritual culture, for in this each separate scholasticate
is but the counterpart of the others; but with what has
been done for our physical well-being we might fill pages.
And in this particular we make bold to say that there is no
scholasticate which enjoys so many advantages as Woodstock.
�rvoodstock.
sr
\Vere we even confined to our two hundred and fifty
acres, we should certainly be more fortunate than others are
in most houses of study. The grounds, though as yet but
little improved by landscape gardening, are broken and
hilly; a~reeably diversified with knoll and dell, clad in their
own wild beauty; here and there, though of rare occurrence we meet with a level stretch of meadow. The numerous streams with rocky beds and diminutive cascades
are one of the features of the demesne. Springs abound,
and send forth their little rilh to refresh you at every turn ;
some are chalybeate, though their medicinal properties have
not been thoroughly tested. The roads and paths which
intersect the woods in every direction and wind along the
Patapsco, seeing what little labour has been expended on
them, are already the admiration of visitors, and when
properly graded and protected from the wear of the rain
will be incomparable. If we extend our walks beyond the
College limits and beyond the range of the accompanying
plot, towards the North and the North-East, we can follow for hours the forest roads without once emerging into
the full glare of the summer sun.
Our little river fuwishes us in summer with many an
hour of invigorating exercise. Our fleet at one time numbered seven galleys; and in the twilight hours of the vacatio major bore many a light-hearted crew gallantly up the
Patapsco to the favourite rendezvous near the grotto. On
more solemn occasions the little craft are decked out gaily
with pennon and oriflamb. The shores resound with song
and chorus and the merry laugh of a hundred hard worked
mortals, who in these wilds, where their noisy outpourings
are never heeded unless perhaps by the echoes of the hills,
are bent on exercising their lungs and making the most of
a few weeks of relaxation after the tugging and straining of
a twelvemonth. We said that our fleet once numbered
seven, and advisedly, for the treacherous little stream which
with so innocent a murmur steals past our shores,swollen
�52
1Voodstock.
by last September's rain, swept three from their moorings.
A stray plank or painted gunwale riding the foaming, seeth·
ing torrent was all that was ever s~en of them after they
passed the dams at Ellicott's l\Iills.
This was but one of the freaks of the Patapsco, for the
tale of many a disaster can be read along its shores. Those
who have visited the bend and the forks at the outlet of the
North Branch will well remember the acres of debris of all
kinds borne thither and there deposited by the stream·
Bridge-girders, trestle-work, shafts and mill-wheels, stanchions of dams, giant trunks, all heaped up promiscuously,
after leaving the marks of their passage along the banks ;
where trees are uprooted or bent to the ground with their
tops imbedded in sand. In time they put forth new limbs
while in this anomalous position, thus perpetuating the
memory of the watery inroads. Railroad sleepers and odds
and ends of all kinds are lodged high .up in the clefts of
trees; in one instance,-and many will recollect the curiosity as it remained in position a couple of years,-a wheelbarrow was entangled in the branches of a sapling and
remained suspended at least twenty feet above the ground.
Similar sights are familiar in the neighbourhood ; but further down the stream at Ellicott's Mills, or above on Piney
Run, which was at one time dotted )vith mills, ruins of what
was once the most solid masonry fully attest the resistless
fury of angry waters. Huge rocks and ponderous bowlders have been borne down with all else and left high and
dry in new sites when the waters abated.
It was during one of these floods, a little better than three
years ago, that the Woodstock bridge yielded and in its
downward trip swept with it to destruction a second bridge
about a mile below the village, and Woodstock College was
thus cut off from its base of supplies.
Near the extreme western angle of the property, high up
qt} the baqk there are furth~r tr<tces of violence:;; but this
1va~ thi: work of the winds and not of the flood. The Col-
��_
_A_
COLLCGE
l\.oa.d.•--=
it•!.'l• - - -
"'it-;e~\ -----~-­
"rnmwo.)-
~~::~nt!~
t'no..\ns.
10.
1~
~"\ 1
�Woodstork.
53
lege at the time of the occurrence was scarcely roofed in. A
few of the laborers and the director of the works were then
the sole inmates. It was during the dark hours of the night.
The hurricane, for it can be called naught else, swept down
the Patapsco and striking as we have said the extreme western corner of the property, spread ruin everywhere in its
track. The sturdiest trunks were snapped asunder, the
largest oaks and poplars were laid low and tossed together
in the wildest confusion. The course of the whirlwind was
eastward, up the stt.ep bank, across the little stream to the
west of the building and passing a short distance behind
the house, whilst those within expected every minute to be
buried beneath the walls, expended its force in the little
valley at the foot of the garden. In a few brief minutes the
most beautiful grove of the entire property, but a stone's
throw to the rear of the College, became an unsightly mass
of splintered trunks or a heap of uprooted trees. He who
has set a limit to the billows and holds also the winds in
check, that night extended a protecting hand over a house
which was in days not distant to send forth many a sturdy
warrior to do battle in His service. The founder of this
edifice arrived the next day and saw to his dismay how
mudi the storm had disfigured the surroundings of the
scholasticate. He has since drawn good from evil. The
greater part of the fallen timber has been corded and
burned ; but what still remains, at his suggestion, is hacked
at unremittingly by our more delicately constituted brethren
who swing an axe for an hour or so daily in quest of a more
robust health.
During the cooler autumn months, the scholastic abandons the shore of the Patapsco and finds all the exercise he
needs at the ball or bowling alleys. Both the Philosophers
and the Theologians have at no little expense been provided
with one of each. These alleys can, after close scrutiny, be
descried on the map to the east and west of the house,
distant a hundred yards or more.
,,
,,
�54
TVoodstock.
\Vhen December and January have frozen the river over,
the scholastic, fully alive to the fact that of all kinds of exercise skating is by far the mo-.;t invigorating, burnishes up
his somewhat rusted blades, the scholasticate once more
pours out its little population, and the banks of the Patapsco
again become a scene of exhilarating life.
\Vith the return of spring come the long walks. The
points of interest on such occasions, when something more
than a mere picnic is determined on, are, St. Charles' College, Carrolll\Ianor, New l\Iount Hope, and the Redemptorists' House of Study at Illchester. Or if the excursionists
have a turn~ for blending the useful with the agreeable, the
Sykesville copper and loadstone mines, the asbestos and
soapstone quarries, or the chrome ore mines and crushing
mills, are all within reach. The region is rich in almost
every variety of minerals though it is not always easy to secure the best specimens. The entomologist could have no
better field in which to prosecute his favorite study. The
choicest specimens of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera,
etc., abound. Our collections are not yet sufficiently complete to make any offer of exchanges on a large scale ; but
we are willing to do our best to please correspondents and
to receive with gratitude any foreign or rare specimens.
There is no reason why the musfOu·ms of all our colleges
should not be complete since we have facilities so much
greater than other scientific bodies.
After this rambling and rather gossiping communication
on Woodstock, we can scarcely draw our remarks to a close
without apologizing to our readers for having omitted
many things of interest which might have been said, inserted others which might have been much better said, and
touched upon not a few, perhaps, which might with advantage have been left out altogether. Whatever be the front
of our offending, our intention, like that of many other
weak but good-natured people, was the best. We were
bent on' offering something to those· who have so often expressed a wish to know what sort of a place Woodstock is-
�Woodstock.
55
The subject indeed is one well deserving of further notice;
for upon this spot is centred the keenest interest not of one
Province alone or of one country, but of an entire continent, whilst the Society in Europe cannot look with indifference on the prosperity of this house.
The old Catholic nations, hitherto so staunch in their
faith, are convulsed. Persecution is again in vogue, and in
spite of the reiterated boast of liberal civilizers that its days ·
were run, that it might stain a page of past history but
could never crimson the spotless future; in spite of the
confident assurance that hereafter enlightenment alone 'vas
to dispel the superstitions of religion, or that at least against
such shadowy forms no more efficient weapon need be resorted to ; in spite of much self-glorification and empty
jargon, we find ourselves once more fairly stranded in the
midst of those scenes of violence, in which forever revel
religious revolutionists and reformers.
It has been found by the enemies of Holy Church, and
be it to their confusion, that she prospers in the same ratio
as education is extended to the masses and her liberty
guaranteed. The consequence is that a different method
must hereafter be followed if they would arrest her onward
progress. Her teachers must be proscribed, and the intelligent youth of every country must be wrested from her
sway.
Driven from the cradle lands of the Society our persecuted brethren must, if things run on in this groove much
longer, finally look to America for a home. Their houses
of study are either closed in most European co~ntries or
still endure by the merest sufferance of political rulers, who
themselves are toyed with by the sects. Already our walls
shelter the studying youth of many different nation~lities,
and not to mention countries severed from us by an Ocean,
the Spanish islands, the missions bordering on the Gulf of
Mexico, as well as those washed by the Pacific, the New
England States, the vast inland territories lying along the
�s6
Woodstock.
Mississippi and the Missouri, the British maritime provinces
and the Canadas are all represented in this house. Still
will \Ve welcome with outstretched arms all those whom ungrateful Europe will force to shake off her dust and to seek
a home in the land of the stranger.
\Vhat God reserves in his mercy for this great continent
the future alone can disclose. Could we but tear aside the
veil which shuts out the morrow from our gaze, we might
then speak with some assurance on the part this scholasticate is called upon to play. But judging by the vast strides
our holy religion has already made, judging by the increasing nUmbers of the faithful, and the immense, nay,
almost inconceivable extent of territory which still lies fallow in the \Vest, though bound already together by all the
modes of modern rapid travel, we may form some faint
surmise of its future usefulness.
Those, whom it already fosters in its bosom, will in a
few years be scattered over the face of this land. They
will penetrate the fastnesses of the great table lands of the
\Ve~t, scour its boundless prairies in quest of souls, scale
the rocky barrier which severs the Atlantic from the Pacific
slope, witness in all probability the final extinction of the
savage tribes, and lay their last warriors to rest shriven
and fortified by the rites of Holy Ch~rch. They will bear
the only truly freedom-imparting words to the manumitted
race of the South, labour in the fields of the Divine H usbandman along the shores of the St. Lawrence and in the
extreme North, ptoclaim in the heart of the great centres
of population the principles of true civilization and of progress, or wear away their lives in training up new children
to the Church and to society; in a word they will be the
thews and sinews of a Catholic people, their labours will
extend over an area of six million five hundred and ninety
five thousand square miles, a world in itself, rescue from
the t~roes of infidelity a nascent empire, and exercise perhaps an unseen but not less real influence on the immense
�Indian 1lfissions.
57
and restless energies of this rising nation, forming it to
good or turning it from evil in the same proportion that
their work is blessed by Heaven. God grant that this blessing may be abundant.
INDIAN MISSIONS.
CmuR D'ALENE
MissiON,
IDAHO TERRITORY,
APRIL 2, I 872.
REV. FR. DESMET,
s. J.
P. C.
REV. AND DEAR FATHER:
I do not know how to thank your Rev. for the many and
great favors we have received from you. Even the Indians,
slow as they are in matters of this kind, acknowledge with
gratitude the many benefits you have conferred on them.
In fact, this present letter is more theirs than my own. On
Easter Sunday all the Chiefs assembled at the mission, held
a meeting, and decided on sending an ltaiminc1t (a letter) to
your Rev., their first Father Black-gown ; after which they
deputed one of their number to request me to write the
ltaiminm to Black-gown De Smet, in their name, and thank
him for his favors and kindness in their regard, with an ardent wish that he might visit them once more. I answered
that I would willingly comply with their desire, but that I
thought the request for a visit was rather bold, as Black·
gown De Smet was now advanced in years, and no longer
able to travel so great a distance on horseback. They coincided with me on this point, and added : "Should he not
be able to come and see us, he will, at all events, be glad to
�ss
ludiau Jl[i'ssio1ts.
hear that the Creur d'Alenes still retain a grateful remembrance of him." So I promised to write for them.
I can assure you, Rev. Father, that you have truly great
motives to rejoice in being the founder of this mission ;
for these "poor Indians," as they are often styled, manifest a
spirit of piety and morality which those who have never
dwelt among them would hardly credit.
Yesterday before returning to their several camps to work
their little farms, they signified their intention of coming
back to the mission towards the end of the month, in order
to be present at the devotions ofthe Month of Mary. I am
confident they will keep their word as they did last year.
The day before yesterday, all the Indians, without a single
exception, approached the Holy Sacram~nts. I think there
is hardly another people or tribe on earth of which the same
can be said.
~iatrimonial affairs (which are in so disorderly a state
among the different tribes that surround the Creur d'Alenes,
and worse perhaps amongst the whites in this new country)
are in so edifying a condition among our dear neophytes,
that they excite the admiration of all who come in contact
with these Indians. The Chiefs of the several bands express the greatest satisfaction on this subject, and have only
one lamentable exception to deplore..-· .
Seltis and Vincent, the Chiefs, wish· to be remembered in
a special manner in the prayers of your Rev., and Vincent
asks your prayers for the soul of his greatly beloved and
only son, Ernest, who died some time ago.
Please accept the thanks and the respects of Rev. FF.
Joset and Gazzoli, and let me recommend myself and the
mission to your Reverence's holy sacrifices.
I remain,
Your Brother in Christ,
J. M. CATALDO, s. J.
----~~~:==-----
�FATHER MICHAEL O'CONNOR.
Father Michael O'Connor was born in the city of Cork,
April 27, 1810, and \Vas probably baptized two days later,
on the Feast of the great Archangel whose name he there""fore received. He obtained his primary classical education
in the Grammar School of Mr. O'Dowd in Queenstown.
In 1824, at the age of fourteen he was sent to the Propaganda by the Bishop of Cloyne and Ross, being transferred
to that diocese only on the morning of his departure from
Cork for Rome. Whilst waiting for a compani_on he remained for a few months at a college in France.
At the Propaganda he completed his classical studies ap.d
went through the whole course of Philosophy and Theology. Besides distinguishing himself in the usual philosophical studies, he carried off the gold medal for being first in
Mathematics. So great was his proficiency in this branch
of science that his professor said of him that if he had devoted himself to it he would have become one of the greatest mathematicians in Europe. He had for companions in
his class the present Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, and
Mgr. Hassoun, the Armenian Patriarch. It is a curious
fact that all his fellow-students of the same year became
bishops. Francis Patrick Kenrick was his senior by a few
years*; Martin John Spalding, his junior by one year.
Dr. Grant, the present Rector of the Scotch College in
Rome, was a student of Propaganda at the same time. He
always looked on young O'Connor as destined to become
one of the great men of the church. Long and thorough as
it was Michael O'Connor finished his course of Theology
before reaching the canonical age for ordination.
* Abp.
Kenrick and his work-A lecture by lL O'Connor, S. J. p. 4.
�6o
Fat!tcr iiHcltacl 0' Connor.
On July 27, I833, he won his Doctor's cap and ring by
a Public Act. His thesis comprehended all theology and
Scripture.
Prior Vaughan* tells us what a severe test such a public
defence was when St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure were
made Doctors by the University of Paris. Cardinal \Visemanf says enough to show that the trial is as hard now as
in the I 3th century. His Eminence acknowledges that he
has done his best to try the metal of the young combatants
in such encounters, but that when he had Michael O'Connor to attack he "had no occasion to repent having well
tempered hi~- \veapons and weighted his blows."
Through this terrible ordeal the young Propagan<;}ist passed, as his diploma says (dated March 3 I, I 8 34) dcclara11do,
crumdo, comprobalzdo, di'stingumdo, pro et contra arguendo,
proponmdo, di'ssobmdo, rcspondendo, etc., to the satisfaction
of all the learned in Rome. A correspondent of the B~ook­
lyn Catlzolic Review adds the following incident : \Vhen M.
O'Connor came as usual to receive the Pope's blessing,
Gregory XVI playfully twined his handkerchief around
the brow of the young doctor saying : "If it were a crown
of gold, you would deserve it." After his ordination, Dr.
O'Connor acted for a short time as Vice Rector of the
Irish College, and attended to the business of the Bishops
of Ireland with the H. See. This brought him frequently
to the presence of Gregory XVI, of whom he was a per,
sonal friend.
About this time he received an invitation from Dr. F. P.
Kenrick, then Bishop Coadjutor and Administrator of Philadelphia, . to accept the charge of President of his newly
founded Seminary of S. Charles Borromeo, to which he intimated a favorable reply.
In I834, after a ten years residence in Rome, and only
twenty-four years of age, Dr. O'Connor returned to Ireland.
* Life and labors of St. Tbomas of Aquin, Vol. II. chap. 1.
t Recollections of the last four Popes, pp. 271-3.
�Fa titer .Miclzael 0' Connor.
61
He was just in time to assist at the dying bed of his mother,
who had with great sacrifice of her own feelings concealed
her illness from him in order not to disturb the pleasure or
shorten the time of his homeward journey.
Only three days after his return, she died. · Her death
gave him the charge of his younger brothers and sister, and
made him relinquish for a while the thought of the American mission. He accepted the position of curate in Fermoy,
and afterwards that of chaplain to the Presentation Convent
in Doneraile. · In the labours of these duties some three
years passed.
He was preparing himself for a concursus for a Theological chair. in Maynooth, when Dr. P. R. Kenrick, now
Archbishop of St. Louis, on his way home from Rome,
paid him a visit. He had been commissioned by his brother,
the Bishop of Philadelphia, to repeat to Dr. O'Connor the
offer of the office of President of the Seminary, and urge
him to accept it.
Dr. O'Connor at once closed his book and prepared to
.start, leaving the theological chair to be gained by Dr.
O'Reilly (who afterwards entered the Society of Jesus and
became Provincial).
In 1838 he arrived in Philadelphia with his younger
brother James Oate President of the Seminary of St. Charles
Borromeo), then just beginning his classical studies, and
was at once installed by Dr. Kenrick in his new office. Besides his duties in the Seminary he had charge of the missions of Norristown and West Chester. He also accompanied Dr. Kenrick in some of his journeys through his
large diocese. Some difficulties in Church matters having
arisen in Pittsburg, he was sent there as Vicar General in
1841, and succeeded in arranging everything satisfactorily.
In 1843, Dr. O'Connor had good reason to suspect that
the Bishops of the United States had determined to recommend him to the Holy See as Bishop of Pittsburg. This
was an additional motive to induce him to put into action a
�62
Fat/zer .ftfic/zael 0 'Connor.
long cherished desire of entering the Society of Jesus, and
thus to place the barrier of religious vows between him
and the dreaded mitre.
On his way to Rome he called on the Papal Nuncio in
Paris, Mgr. Fornari, afterwards Cardinal, who had been
his Professor at Propaganda. 'Without telling his motive
he prevailed on the Nuncio to write to the Prefect of Propaganda to ask a dispensation from his oath. Afterwards,
however, being informed of the reasons Dr. O'Connor had
for this step, he wrote again to Rome, retracting his former
letter, and strongly urging the appointment of his former
pupil to the newly created see. Meanwhile the letters of
the American Bishops had also reached Rome: Gregory
XVI delayed giving an audience to his old friend until
these letters could be duly considered, and other necessary
proofs and information obtained. At last Dr. O'Connor, with
his heart already in the quiet of the Jesuit Novitiate, kneels
at the feet of the Sovereign Pontiff. In reply to his humble
petition Gregory XVI 9aid: "You will be Bishop first and
Jesuit..aftenvards. I will not let you rise from your knees
until you promise to accept the Diocese of Pittsburg." Thus
the heavy honors of the Church were accepted through
obedience, and instead of washing dis~es at S. Andrea, the
would-be novice is crowned with a mitre in S. Agatha.
His consecration took place in the church of the Irish
College, Aug. 15, 1843; Cardinal Fransoni being the consecrating Bishop. The close of the same year saw the new
Bishop already at work in his Cathedral city, and with
seven Sisters of Mercy from Carlow, the first of the Order
in the United States. It is hard at this time to form any
idea of the difficulties which met the first Bishop of Pittsburg thirty years ago on his arrival at his See, with no resources save those of his own head and heart. In those
days his work could almost be called a creation, a real productio rei ex 1ziltilo, since he had no money to build a church
and no architect to design one.
�Father Michael 0' Connor.
The meditative theologian must now put forth the energies of a pioneer. The obedient student transformed into
a commanding General, begins the battle which was to last
for seventeen years. He came to some four or five thousand Catholics in his city, out of a population of 20,000
souls. He found the Redemptorists already at work at S.
Philomena's. Besides this church there was St. Patrick's
by the old canal bridge, and the Cathedral of S. Paul (dedicated in 1 834), left almost high and dry. by the grading of
Grant St. There were but fifteen Priests in the 'whole Diocese. In ten years he had increased the number to eighty.*
The present complete organization of the Diocese is owing
to the constructive genius of its first Bishop, who was one
eminently secundum mmtcm Tridmtini. The "Glenwood
Hotel" becomes S.Michael's Diocesan Seminary. A farmhouse in Westmoreland County grows into the Benedictine
Abbey of S. Vincent, with a Mitred Abbot. A half-ruined
coal shed is the beginning of Mercy Hospital. The bleak
steep side of Birmingham hill, honeycombed with deserted
coal pits, declined by the Jesuits, is accepted by the Passionists as the site for their Monastery. Such institutions as
the Catholic Orphan Asylum, the House of Industry, the
College of the Franciscan Brothers, and the Convent of
Mercy owe their existence to the restless zeal and ingenuity of Bishop O'Connor. Of the Convent of Mercy the
present Mother Superior writes: "This House was built by
him. Every room and corridor now reminds me how he
measured it himself, and what care and labor he took to
make everything comfortable for us." In addition to this
minute and searching attention to the affairs of his Diocese
his mind was constantly employed in examining all the
great questions of the day whether political, scientific,
moral, or religious. Yet such was his humility that he never wrote anything except when duty required. Activity
*The Catholic Church in the United States-De Courcy, p. 306.
�Fatlter .LV!ichad 0 'Connor.
was as much the element of the Bishop, as study had been
that of the theologian. He was the primum mavens but not
immobile. As Fr. Clarke -very happily said in his sermon
at the solemn Requiem in Baltimore : "Like the mainspring of a watch he was always in motion and kept others
moving. He was an almost constant traveller and yet a
perpetual labourer."
He was present in Rome at the Definition of the Immaculate' Conception irt I 8 54· His name may be seen on the
marble tablets erected in S. Peter's to commemorate that
event, and also in S. Paul's, outside of the walls, in memory
of the consecration of·the new Basilica.
It was remarked by Archbishop Kenrick of Baltimore that
among the two hundred bishops, the Corona Purpuratorum
Patrum et Antistitum, there present, none attracted more at~
tention than Bishop Malou of Bruges and Bishop O'Connor
of Pittsburg.
In 1853, at his own request, his diocese was divided and
he himself transferred to Erie. But the Holy See, moved
by the representations of both Bishops and people, restored
him"to Pittsburg in the following year.
The cathedral of St. Paul which escaped the great fire in
Pittsburg in 1846, was burnt in 185 I. The present cathedral, built by the exertions of the Bishop, was dedicated in
1855· In 186o Bishop O'Conno/accomplished the great
desire of his life, which was to enter the So<:iety of Jesus:
The burden of the episcopate, angelicis lmmcrisformidandum~
became heavier to his growing years and failing health:
His idea of the responsibility of a BishoP. he afterwards ex-,
pressed as follows: "It was the fear of failing to correspond
to those high requirements of their state that made even the
saints tremble when called to the episcopal office."* He
was glad to obtain permission to resign that which he had
* Th~ nature and duties of the Episcopal office-A sennon, etc. by
M. O'Connor, S. J.
�Fatlter Micltad 0' Collnor.
6s
accepted with fear. He made a preparatory retreat at the
Novitiate in Frederick City before sailing for Europe, and
entered th.! Novitiate at Gorheim, Sigmaringen, Dec. 22,
1860. Of his perfect and humble obedience as a novice, one
who was with him bears ample testimony. No one but the
Rector knew what he had been. until one day at mass he let
a Pax 7•obis slip out instead of Dominus vobiscum. The
model Bishop became the model novice. Deus maximus in
minimis : so of his servants. The young novices were often
astonished at the thoughtfulness and care with which his
strong will observed the rules and customs of the Novitiate.
His two years being completed, by a special dispensation of
the Father General, Fr. O'Connor made his solemn profession of the four vows in Boston, Dec. 23, 1862, in the hands
of Fr. Sopranis, the Visitor.
, For a short time he taught theology in Boston College,
then the scholasticate of the Society : afterwards he was appointed Socius to the Provincial of Maryland, which office
he held until his death. With Loyola College for his head
quarters, he was sent to preach, lecture and give retreats,
especially to the clergy in all parts of the country. Notwithstanding his increasing infirmities, in 1870 he preached
the Advent in Philadelphia and the following Lent in New
Orleans.
On his return from Havana he was preparing to start for
Nova Scotia to give a Retreat to the Clergy when Superiors
determined to send him to London for medical advice. He
returned in December in company with Dr. Vaughan, (now
Bishop 'of Salford) and the Missionaries of S. Joseph's College. He assisted for the last time in any public function
in the Sanctuary of S. Francis Xavier's Ghurch for the colored people, in Calvert St., Baltimore, when the missionaries
received their pastoral charge. This Church had been purchased and its congregation organized some years before by
the efforts of Fr. 0' Connor. He had even asked permission
to devote himself to the slaves in Cuba.
�66
Fatltcr Jl!idtad 0 'Connor.
Early in the Spring of this year (1872) Fr. O'Connor
came to Woodstock. He knew it was to die. In May he
thus wrote ·to one of our fathers : " I am now staying at
Woodstock, and will probably remain here till the end. I
am just well enough to live without pain, but gradually
sinking-getting weaker from day to day. I wish I could
withdraw my thoughts from everything that does not regard the welfare of my soul, as I ought to do. I consider
it a great grace from God that he enables me to see the importance of _doing this." On another occasion he asked a
venerablefather of the Society, who had come to see him,
what exerd'se he thought was the best preparation for
death. To many other friends he either wrote or dictated
his last words of affection and charity. The summer he
spent with us as one of ourselves. \Ve can still see him
slowly walking with his cane up and down the corridors,
starting beforehand so as to be in time for .some community
duty, sitting on the Philosophers' benches under the trees,
or silently enjoying the evening recreation with the Scholastics on their porch, always the same, with his cheerful,
humble manner, asking for nothing, complaining of nothing,
waiting for his turn like the rest, asking pardon of a lay
brother for giving any little trouble, or keeping quiet at
night so as not to disturb the rest of others. To one who
asked him if he had much pain, "No, sir," he replied, "I
have not the lzonour of suffering anything."
Once after speaking of some of the trials of his Episcopate, he added : " As far as I can see, it would have been
better for me if I could have entered the Society when I
first wanted to, but God knows best. Anyhow, it is a great
blessing to be able.to die in peace."
He said his last mass on the feast of his patron, Saint
Michael. On Saturday afternoon, October I 2, he received
the last sacraments. Before this, he had asked Fr. Rector
to allo\v .him to be taken to the refectory to say his culpa.
and perform some public penance for all the " scandal" he
had given to the community.
�Fat/zer Jlficltael 0 'Connor.
\Vhen the preparations were being made for administering
the last sacraments, he said to Father Rector with the deepest emo1ion : "It would be impossible to thank you for your
unspeakable kindness to me at all times ; and indeed that
is what I always received from every one, no matter where
I was. I can only ask your pardon for all the bad example
I have given in the Society." Then turning to one from his
old Diocese he continued : "Tell the people of Pittsburg
that I remember them all to the last with the greatest affec. tion, and how sorry I am that I could not have done more
for them whilst I was with them : and even the little I did
do was very imperfect." "Tell them all," he repeated, "the
Bishop, the Clergy, the Religious and the Sisters that I pray
for them and will remember them all to the end." When
Father Minister entered the room with the Blessed Sacrament, the dying man, with great difficulty, slipped from his
chair to his knees and, in profound adoration, received the
Holy Viaticum. Afterwards, with his deep solemn voice, he
joined in the responses when the Sacrament of Extreme
Unction was administered.
He lingered for a few days in great suffering, borne with
the most perfect resignation. When asked whether he was
in great pain or if he wanted anything, he would only reply by shaking his head to say no. When he· managed to
speak it was only to ask some of his attendants to recite
the Litany of the Holy Name or other prayers. At last,
on the morning of Friday, Oct. 18, the Feast of St. Luke,
sitting in his arm-chair, he bowed his head and gave up his
spirit into the hands of the Master whom he had served so
long and so well. The De Profimdis bell tolled just at the
end of the community Mass, and as all knew what had happened we united in prayers for the repose of the soul of our
departed Father.
It is difficult to take in at a glance such a many-sided
character, so eminent in head, will and heart; so great a
power and under such perfect control. His mental and
�Fatlter .Mzi:lwcl 0 'Connor.
68
.
moral solidity was aptly epitomized by Fr. Clarke in the
words : Ni!til tetigit quod non solidavit. The Correspondent
above referred to, says : "He had the power of grouping
ideas, and condensing difficult matters within a very small
compass; and when he spoke on any subject,-thtre was little worth saying that he would leave unsaid." His great
learning never was a burden to him but was always under
the guidance of sound common sense, which would seize
the substance of things in their last analysis and adapt it to
times, places or persons, stript of all unnecessary accidents.
To this r~re combination of masterful intellect, extensive
learning, inflexible will, practical sense and solid virtue he
added a most affectionate heart, full of thoughtful tenderness. He never forgot his old friends and they never forgot him.
How many such exprt:">sions as these have
reached us from Pittsburg and other places : " \Ve have
lost our best friend and father ; such another we can never
expect to find." An old friend who knew him well in the
early days, writes: "After my own father, there is no one
to whom I owe more than to Bishop O'Connor." The
Sisters of Mercy say they now regard him as their "Cardinal Protector in Heaven."
The esteem and affection in which his memory is held
was well shown by the numbers tiL Bishops, priests and
people who were present at the Solemn Requiem in Baltimore, and at the "month's mind" held in the cathedral of
Pittsburg.
But for us inter pan"ctts the most wonderful thing about
him was his humility. And of this he was perfectly unconscious. It seemed to be part of his nature, so much so
that one might be with him a long time without noticing it.
The definition of sibi ipsi vilcsccrc i\'ould not hold good in
his case, as he seemed to have no self at all to have any
opinion about. Like the great Angelical who after his
vision of Heavenly Truth, thought' his Summa only "rubbish," so, in his measure, aid F. O'Connor think of his
�Father 1Vficlzael 0 'Connor
works and knowledge in the light of God. This appeared
in his whole manner of action and conversation, whether
he sp0ke of himself or any one else. His sermons showed
the fruit of it. He was always ready and willing to take
any one's place in preaching. The saying was true in his
case : In domo pima cito paratur cama. All he wanted was
five or ten minutes walk up and down the corridor. When
· he spoke to the people his power was one of thought not
of language. He never seemed conscious that he was saying anything; he was only thinking and loving aloud for
God and His people. Semper sui simi/is whether in preachin.;. in talking, or in keeping silence, he was always the
herald of the Great King, who had his message to deliver
in the way it was given, whether men were pleased or not
There was too much sturdy vigour and robust earnestness
about him to allow him to stop for fine phrases or cadencing
periods. Great strong tltouglzts in plain words might serve
to describe his preaching. The smzcta et virilis simplicitas
which was the mark of the man was likewise the note of
his speech.
A boyhood of piety, a youth of study, ten years a Roman
student, ten more a secular priest, professor and missionary,
seventeen years a Bishop, and twelve years a Jesuit, make
up the well-spent life of Fr. O'Connor.
He has left the record of his clear full mind in the Councils of Baltimore, the works of his intrepid energy. in the
Diocese of Pittsburg, the remembrance of his fatherly affection in the hearts of his spiritual children, and in the Society of Jesus, the example of religious simplicity, regular
observance and marvellous humility.
He rests 111 our little hill-side cemetery, by the side of
Fr. Maldonado, one,taken in the glorious summer, the other
sleeping under the autumn leaves.
Simplicitas concurrms veritati in ipsa
!mmilitate sublimis.-S. Ambrose.
�WARD'S ISLAND, N.Y.
EMIGRANTs' REFUGE AND HosPITAL,
WARD's IsLAND,
N. Y.,
JuLY, 1872.
REV. FATHER:
P. C.
~
'
I wrote to you last November informing you of my success in obtaining, under the patronage of St. Joseph, a
grant of $35,000 from the Commissioners of Education towards the building of a new Catholic Church. At the time
I had no idea of the amount of opposition which the spirit
of darkness would excite, as soon as the fact became known
among the Protestants. The first battle I had to fight was
about the selection of a site for the Church. I had chosen
the most central position on the Island and they wanted to
crowd me out to the extremities of the place, near the gasworks. In this effort I defeated them, however, and they
have now that beautiful place left to ~hemselves, if they ever
wish to build a new prayer-shop. They next began to delay
the work, hoping, if they gained time, something might
turn up to baffle all my expectations. The surveying was
not done until the 23rd of Jan., the feast of the Espousals
of the B. V. Mary and St. Joseph. On that day we received a visit from the Imperial ambassador of Germany,
Baron Von Bunsen, on his return from Chili, and I prevailed upon him, though a Protestant, to break the first
sod for the new building. The first lo~d of stones arrived
in a schooner on St. Joseph's day, but the maso~s could
not commence their work until the beginning of May. In
the meanwhile another cloud of trouble, by far more seri-
�TVard's Island. N. Y.
71
ous, rose upon our new building and the whole Institution.
The Protestant Children's-Aid Societies had been long ago
anxious to get hold of the administration of this place in
order to kidnap many Catholic children, to send them in
squads Out \Vest to be bound out to staunch Protestant families, as they do in other institutions. \Vith the aid of a
Jewish pervert to Protestantism, who now combines the hatred ~.fa Jew again~t Christians with the hatred of a bigoted
Protestant against Catholicity, they sent a bill to the Legislature in Albany, whose object was to upset the present Board
of Commissioners of Emigration altogether and replace
them by a new one composed of the most bigoted men
among them with the Protestant Jew as "the only honest
member of the old Board"-and only one Catholic, the
president of the Irish Emigrant Society, who is a member of
the board ex officio. Every body could see what would be
the result if that bill became a law. I had recourse to St.
Joseph and got the orphans of the Sisters of Charity to pray.
In the meanwhile I went to lobbying, myself. I wrote to
members of the Legislature who were Catholics or favorable
to Catholics, and it was amusing to read in the papers how
this bill passed ~rom one house to the other and back again
with modifications, one of which was the striking out of the
name of the Protestant Jew, the chief agitator, himself. On
the last day of the session, it passed both houses and went
into the hands of the Governor, where, thanks to the protection of S. Joseph, it rests still. It never became a law.
But even here the danger was not over. The indefatigable
Protestant Jew, still a member of the old Board of Commissioners, showed fight in the meetings of the Board. He
moved that the new church-building now in course of erection on Ward's Island should be a simultaneous church for'
all denominations. I was called upon to answer in writing
-What reasons the Catholics on Ward's Island had to ask
for a new church-edifice ? What objections there were to
making it a simultaneous church for all denominations ?-
�72
Ward's Island, N. 1":
And what was the number of attendants in the Catholic and
Protestant chapels? I give here my answer.
To THE Hox. RICHARD O'GoR:uAx, PRESIDEXT oF THE Co:u~usswxEns
OF E:uiGRATIOX OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
lion. and Dear Sir:
Ever since I have been ofliei:dng as Catholic Chaplain" on this bland.
I have found it necessary to anti! myself of the privilege granted to the
Priests of this country to oll"er up the holy Sacrifice of the )lass i1tfce in
the morning of every Sunday ami festival of obligation in the year, :1>'
without such an arrangement, a great part of our Catholic people wouhl
be depriv..!d of the opportunity of fulfilling their obligations. The present Chapel in the garret of the Nursery seats a boat 300 pcrsonsconvcn·
iently, and ~"'as nearly filled at both )[asses during the summer season.
But during '\'inter it became so crowded, that many had to go back, hecause there was no room for them even to stand in the aisles. (iVhat
will it be when the emigration from Bohemia and Poland, whose popu·
!at ion is nearly all Catholic, increases as it bids fhir to do?)
.Moreover, I find that many cripples, consumptive, astlnnatie, eonvalescent and aged persons, who are well able to move on plain and even
,~;round, have to give up all idea of climbing up so many stairs, and are
deprived, the whole year around, of the eomfort of attending divine strvice, o!" spending an hour of the dreary day in the house of God.
Besides, lhc building itself is not safe when the Chapel is crowded
with people. It has been remarked that the floor then rises considerably
in tile !niddle and is lowering on the sides. Add to this the miasma and
intolerably toul air, which fills the chapel in winter when doors and windows are closed, and the plaee crammed with human beings, and even
the candles on the altar giving but a dim light. I am eonfident that tlti>'
faet alone, if it were known t·) the Health Commissioners, might induce
them to shut up that place altogether. In.ihe hot season, even with doorH
and windows open, after 10 o'clock, A. )I. a st~y in the chapel, even
when empty, is intolerable.
I will not ~llude to the fttct that this is the only pl:tcc on the island,
where divine worship aceording to the rites of the Catholic Church i~
regularly celebrated on Sundays, and that Catholic inmates and officials
of the other Institutions in charge of the Conuni;;sionel's of Charity and
Correction avail themselves of this opportunity to satisfy their spiritual
w;mts, giving thereby good example to our own people; also that many
non-catholic emigrants, who do not attend the service of the Lutheran
Clergyman appointed as Protestant Chaplain on the Island, and who
avail themselves of the Amcric>.n principle of liberty of conscienee, adn
considerably to the number that arc to be accommodated in our chapel.
It would be inhuman and unchristian to exclude them. They would go
neither to the one nor to the other plaee of worship and at best give up
religion altogether.
�1Vard's Island, 1V. Y.
73
Tho~e. Honorable and Dear Sir, are the principal rea~ons why we
Catholics are a~king your Honorable Board for a larger and more convenient place of divine worship.
"\.s to the question: Is it expedient that Catholics and Protestants
"hou!~l wor;;!tip in the same Church-edifice? I may be permitted to nn,:wer entirely in the w·rpttire; for in the 1st place, the Protestants might
well cnll it their Ulwrdt, but we Catholics would rwt have what
1re eal!· a Chureh. It never con hi be bles5ed ami dedicated to God.
'Ve might worship there, as in missionary places Catholics worship
"ometimes in public halls, in school-hou~es, in private houses; but what,
~trictly speaking, we ealla Church, we could 1wt have. Let the building
be ever so stylish and costly, we nPver could have the same feelings of
reverence, respect and love for it, which we have for the House of God.
'Vhoever visited this island ever since Catholics and Protestants had
their separate places of worship, was pleased with the arrangement, an•!
gave credit to the wisdom and generous liberality of the Commissioners.
The emigrant, who at home never heard of a Church common. to both
Catholics and Protestants, on arriving here felt himself at home in his
mrn church, am! many a one on entering the Chapel, shed tears of joy
and forgot more easily the h:u dships of separation from h.mne, became
he saw that in his newly-adopted home every thing was the same in the
Church as it had !Jeen at home. Shut up the Catholic altar behind folding doors am! drive away the crowds of worshippers who would like to
~pend another hour in thanksgiving after )lass or holy communion, and
tell them that they must go out now, for there is to come another people
in this place who believe nothing in those things, and how will the poor
emigrant feel? 'Yhat will he think of his new land of adoption and of
the Commissioners, who would not allow him to pray half an hour longer heforc the altar which contains all he loves and is living for?
.
Will the Catholic Priest !Jc permitted to adorn the Church according
to the different festivals of the year, without interference of the Protestant minister? And if ltc pul up any statues or pictures of Catholic
Saints, will they he looked upon favorably and respected by those, who
:1re taught as a part of their creed, that Catholics are idolaters and that
these pictures and statues arc idols? Or if the Protestant minister puts
up a Christmas-tree in the middle of the church, as he did last year in
his chapel, will it n·main in peacl'ful possession of all its contents, until
the-Prote~t:mt congregation arrives to worship around it? I do not only
foresee an emlle~s ~eries of quarrels and contentions, but I seriously apprehend that it will come to riots and bloodshed, as there are enough,
among our people, who, for their lives, will not be able to see quietly the
sectarian preacher ministering within the same sanctuary, where the
Priest, a while bcfbre, stood to dispense to the people the Holy of Holies.
If the example of the Institutions on Blackwell's Island is quoted,
where .Catholics and Protestants have to worship in the same places,
�74
TVants Island,
N:
Y
I answer: In hoc non laudo! Such an arran.~c·nent is not the best feature of those Institutions. 'V c do not live under the imperial sway of til('
King of Prussia, where the system of common churches has beC'n invented and kept up by force, in towns where the Protestantg wen• not
numerous enough, or not willing, to build places of ":orship !()J· themselves. This may succeed well enough in penal Institutions-but wt·
live in a free country, where everyone is permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience; and the separation of thi•
two religious professions is more congenial to the American spirit of liberty. Experience teachrs that religion anti piety flourish much better
under the wings of untranunelled fi·eedom than in the straight-jackets of
imperialism.
·
As to the number of worshippers attending the Catholic Chapel, I can
safely say that, at present, during summer, it averages from 400 to i500
persons, at bQth ~lasses, and in winter, from 600 to 700. If the new
Church is finished, I do not doubt that it will increase by from 100 to 200
more ; whereas the number of attendants in the Protestant Chapel is
scarcely one tenth of our present number.-! had appointed a trust-worthy person to count them·this morning (Sunday .June 9). The followin!\'
is the result :
10 o'clock service (English):
:Men 19, 'Vomen 10, Boys 12, .. 41
15
Remained in Church for the 2nd service,
30
11 o'clock service (German):
)len 17, Women 13,
15
Infimts and children,
101
30
Deducting the 15 who remained at both sen·ices,
The grand total is
71
It must be observed that from the time when the movement of makin~
the new Church-building a common Churcl1 began, the Protestant :1\Iinister exerted himself during the whole wee_k, to stir up his people to
come to Church, that he might be able to show large numbers of attendants to the Commissioners. If by such extraordinary exertions and under such inducements he could ,:gather no more than 44 adults for thr
two services together, I have more reason to believt>, 'vhat I was assured
more than once, that on many Sundays he had no more than 5 or 6
persons to hear him in his Chapel!
The whole movement to obtain common possession of the new Church
did not arise with the mass of Protestants on the island, nut with one
particular individual, who, although he h:udly ever goes to any Church
himself, is jealous enough to see the Catholics about to have a large
building for a Church; and cannot be satisfied with the present Protestant Chapel though newly painted and large enough to accommodate fiw
time~ as many worshippers as it actually has.-If the Commissioners of
your I-~onorable Board think it proper to concede to his wishes, I have
�n··ard's Island. N. Y.
75
not the slightest objection. Let them build a Protestant church of marlJ!e, and a parsonage as large as the Astor House for its Minister; I will
he satisfied with n1y room under the garret of the vestry, if I have only
the satisfaction of having a Church large enough and convenient enough
for my people, so that the lame ami tlte Uind and the feelile be not excluded;
und where we can worship our God according to the dictates of our consciences, in peace. If the Commission will do for the Catholics only what
it would do for the Protestants, were they as numerous and similarly sitmlted: we will be satisfied. As lo the expenses of furnishing what is
peculiar to our mode of worship, we shall be no burden to their' treasury:
we only wish for the liberty of worship in our o1m Ohurdl.; and grant it
willingly to others.
Most Hespectfully Yours,
,J. PRACIIENSKY, Oatlwlk Chaplain, Ward's Islarul.
\Vhether this document was ever presented before the
Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting or communicated to the parties whom it concerned, privately, I
had no means of ascertaining. Certain it is, that ever since
the Protestant faction has held its peace, and the building
of the church is going on steadily in the most approved
Catholic style. I hope it will be finished in November and
then I will write to you more about it.
Rev;e. V estr.I!,
Servus in Xto.
P. JosEPH PRACHENSKY.
�ST. FRANCIS XAVIER'S CHURCH, CINCINNATI,
OHIO.
_,
.•
ST.
F.
CINCINNATI,
XAVIER's CoLLEGE, }
Omo, Nov. 7,
1872.
REV. AND DEAR FATHER :
P. C.
On departing from vVoodstock four months ago, that
band of Western travellers, who were the first regular return made by Woodstock to the West, felt, if I may judge
of all by one, a somewhat stray feeling, and looked a somewhat vacant look, on their Alma Mater subsiding out of
view, and sinking down at the other end of that Baltimore
and. Ohio line. If it wer~ not Cincinnati that stood here to
reassure us, or if there 'Y.ere not .St. Xavier's College to chafe
our numbed feelings .as with a new life, or if there were not
a villa to administ~r the fresh country air to our overheated
brows, we might have alighted from the Baltimore cars into
a home-sickness, from which we had not recovered up to
the present hour. For time· is the only cure in such sickness, and four months are as no time.
o
The farm, which tops a Kentucky bluff on the Ohio, was
famous for its pears-an attraction somewhat material,
though good enough in its way. Yet it is a low way, after
all ; and that became quite clear to me, on our moving into
the city. For here I found a new kind of farming, much
more rich in its ·produce than Kentucky in its pears, and
yielding that sort of fruit, to which the words are applied : "My Beloved will come and eat the fruit of His apple-trees."
I refer, in general, to the state of St. Xavier's congregation;
and in particular to the Sodalities.
�St. f?l·.wcis Xa·uier's Clutrdz, Cincinnati, -OJzio:
77,
Day after day, l lJaVe seen Conm1unions at--'otdinary
l\Iasses, the daily fruit of devotion. Sunday after . Sunday,
6oo. On the first Friday and first Sunday,
\Ve may
infer the number on principal feasts. _
I have likewise heard on successive Sundays read outfrom the altar the public acts of this Sodality and that one,
in the way of meetings, communions, prayers to be poured·
forth for the dead ; and a comparison occurred to my mind,
between these centres of manifold life which radi;~tes in
spiritual activity from the Sodalities, as they congregate
thus, round the altar, and those centres of musical sound,
which rolls so often and so loudly from the bells in the
Church tower above. Indeed, the repeated tolling up there
from early morning till noon, led one of your Woodstock
students, who spent a single Sunday here, to think again of
his own catholic Germany, all alive in his parts with the
spirit of warm devotim1. I came to desire afterwards, that
he had likewise heard, besides the ringing of those churchbells above, the music of edification from these bells of the sanctuary- below.
Here are, as I count them, seventeen societies: fourteenofthem being Sodalities, not indeed different in kind, but·
multiplied into sections, under different titles of the Blessed
Virgin, and different diplomas. To enumerate first the Sodalities:
MEN.-The Holy Family; number of members, 250.
YouNG MEN.- The Immaculate Conception, 300. Boys:
the older ones in the College, 69 ; the younger ones, 44 :
those of the parish school,- 225; of the city shoe-blacks, 6o:
and young men of the same- civil denomination, but a new
Sodality title, viz., "St. FranCis Xavier's Association for the Conversion of Sinners," 69.
WoMEN ...:...CThe Holy Family, from I,IOO to 1,200. The
Holy Maternity, of married ladies, IOO and upwards. Young·
ladies, whose convent education has thrown them together,
6o; three other sections, 400 all together. The Children
of Mary, 400 to 500.
Soo.
�78
St. Francis Xavier's Churclt, Cincinnati, .Ohio.
These figures give a grand total for the Sodalities offrom
3o68 to 3268.
Moreover there are the following Societies : the ArchConfraternity of the Sacred Heart; the Altar Society of the
Immaculate Conception, to honor the Blessed Virgin's
feasts by approaching the Holy Table; and an Orphan Society.
As to the inner working of them, I have not inquired into
more than a few, nor do I think it would serve the purpose
of light and pleasant edification to go through the tedium
of minutes and meetings. But a couple will serve as a sample of all.-··
There is close by the College, a Convent of Notre Dame.
It enjoys an ancient glory and a new one. Its ancient glory is that of being mother to-all the houses in this country;
and its new one that of covering with its buildings nearly a
whole square, of the large Cincinnati size. Like other things
evangelical, it came forth from a little seed and has grown
mighty.
I_had the honor of being introduced to an apartment
which I found to be a library, the property and appurtenance of the female Holy Family Sodality. Fr. Roelof was
the founder of this Sodality, in November, 1857· He instituted it "to extirpate cursing, blasphemy and intemperance;"'
and the high praise became its due of being the entrance to
newness of life for many a mother, and so for many a family.
Entrance into this Sodality was embarking on the flood,
which, taken in place of the ebbing tide of drunkenness led
many to fortune. High and apostolic praise! Nevertheless, while it smiled fortune on those who entered it, the Sodality had not that aspect, which would attract the beams
of fortune on itself, precisely because of its professed object.
Accordingly, a rearrangement was made of its rules, whereby its original end was thrown considerably into the shade ;
and t~!e consequence was that while the primary object of extirpating drunkenness continued to be silently effected,
�St. Francis Xavier's Church, Cincinnati, Ohio.
79
another more specious, inasmuch as more ordinary, aspect
was put on the Sodality, and it throve from that day. It
counts, as I have said above, from I 100 to I200 members.
It has a council of 25 ; and I 2 Visitors of the sick. It enrolls the names of dead members on a list, and mass is said
for the deceased every week. Its title is the Immaculate
Conception ; its principal feasts the Immaculate Conception,
St. Joseph, Christmas and the Assumption.
A year ago, it presented a piano and harmonium to the
Children of Mary whose library is directly over that of the
Holy Family. Though of not more than two years' standing, this collection of books belonging to the Enfants de
Marie is about equal in number to that of their benefactors
below-stairs. The Sodality itself numbers from 400 to 500.
Its patron feast is that of the Immaculate Conception; its
other principal ones, St. Aloysius and St. Joseph. Its
meetings are on every alternate Sunday, in the Church after
Vespers; while those of the Holy Family, (which is under
the same director,) are on the intermediate Sundays at the
same hour. And while the Holy Family communicates in
the Church on the first Sunday of the month, the other,
along with the three sections of young ladies, communicates on the fourth Sunday of the month. These three
sections with the Children of Mary make a total of from
Soo to 900 approaching the Holy Table. "My Beloved
will come and eat the fruit of His apple-trees."
With one word more, I will take leave of Your Reverence. Woodstock is an orchard, and the first yield of
fruit which it made to the West was composed of four
Scholastics. Ten days ago we were four, and I knew not
but we should always be four, hand in hand. Now .we are
three. R. I. P. The Beloved has come suddenly,
In whom I remain,
Yours humbly,
T. H.
�DEATH OF MR. JOHN MOYNIHAN, S. J.
The allusion contained in the closing lines of the foregoing letter is to the sudden death of one of our Scholastics,
Mr. John Moynihan, who died at St. Louis University, on
the Igth of October last.
We do not hope to add to the affectionate regard in which
Mr. Moynihan was held by all who knew him. vVe mean
simply to lay our own humble tribute upon our brother's
grave, for the years which he spent with us are so lately
gone, and the memory of them is so fresh and green, that
it is a pleasant and a beautiful task to weave the offering.
A short time ago he bade us farewell with high hope and
holy resolution, and we felt sure that he was going forth
only to enter upon a career in which virtue and talent would
win for him the crown of success. A few weeks later, and
we ;eceived the news that he was on the point of death ;
but galloping consumption bore him away so rapidly that
· the grave had closed over him before his brethren at \Voodstock had thus learned that he was.~ven ill. He was confined to his room only three days; and the calm, holy, and
beautiful death which he died, was but a reflex of his lifetime. One of his companions writes to us: "I was with
him the evening before he died, when he made me read the
points of meditation for him, and asked me to come again
in the morning. When I went to him on the following day,
I found· him exceedingly low, yet hoping to recover. Still
he then talked to me of the good chance he had of dying
in the Society. I visited him frequently during the day, and
found him at all times very fervent, eager to suffer and pray.
He remained this way till about an hour before his death,
an:d breathed his last, sitting in his chair with his habit ...
�Deatlt of Mr. llloyn£/zan, S. :1.
81
on, whik his brethren were reciting the prayers for his departing souL"
\Vhat a beautiful close to his innocent,
peaceful life! What a mild, sweet twilight after the day of
sunshine!
Mr. Moynihan had taught four years before commencirg
the study of philosophy, and after finishing the first course
of this ::.cience in \Voodstock, had just returned to his
province for college duty again, when he was called away
to the better life. During the three years which he spent
with us he was remarkable for his religious observance and
for his close application to study. His course of philosophy
was successful in the extreme. He found in it full play for
the natural bent of his mind, and the pleasure which he
took in it, together with the encouragement which marked
success must necessarily bring about, served to strengthen
the more his prime and principal motive for diligence-sense
of duty. Nor did the efforts which he made after the acquisition of learning fail him in the end. His brilliant examination "De Universa" was the admiration of the Faculty·:
and the praises heaped upon it, though an unsought, wel"e
yet a merited reward.
But if our brother was persevering in the pursuit of knowledge, he was equally so in the observance of our religious
duties. Nature had given him a simple, unobtrusive manner, and his good, warm heart was full of affection. Sensitive and timid himself, he could not easily fail in due regard
for the feelings of his companions. He would not hear
them blamed even .in jest, and if the accused happened to
be of his own delicate sensitiveness, and most of all, if he
made no retort, the sympathy of mutual feeling was imm~­
diately awakened, and Mr. Moynihan ready. to take his
part. This was so noticeable in him that his companion~,
in their. various games, sought opportunities of censure,
simply to admire his readiness to shield the imaginary vic:tim. Moreover he was so humble and so ready to yield tQ
others. the better part. Only ,a short time be.fore he left U:s,
��WOODSTOCI( LETTERS.
VOL. II., No.
2.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA.
PART FIRST.
[Continued.]
Father Greaton:s choice is not so much to be wondered
at. The intolerance of the colonists necessitated a retired
situation. His prudent foresight foresaw it would soon be a
most eligible position. In fact, for nearly a century after,
it was in the very heart of W est-end-dom, with its upper
ten thousand. To the North and East were the commodious residences of the wealthy Friends, who knew the true
value of an Irish Catholic servant; while to the South and
\Vest stood, in the early days of the Republic, the mansions
of the foreign ambassadors, whose numerous domestics
were the Fathers' frequent penitents. Within a quarter of
a mile was the First President's House, and he who consid-
�86
St. Yoscph' s Clmrch, Philadelphia.
ered it no idolatry to have a full length painting of Mary
Immaculate hanging at the head of his bed, saying to a future Archbishop of Baltimore, the Most Rev. Ambrose
Man~chal, D. D., "I cannot love the Son without honoring
the Mother,"* no doubt often directed his steps to " the
little church down the alley." I\Iy venerable friend, Mrs.
Baker, had spoken to me of this picture as well as of one,
a life sized Good Shepherd, full twenty years before an aged
brother in religion related to me the anecdote of the Archbishop. She also told how she had received many a courtly
bow from the " Father of his Country" as he came from the
"chapel" or the Priest's house. It was the proper position
for a church, far enough from the Blue Anchor Tavern to
escape the bustle of commerce and trade, and yet within
easy access of the few families which formed its first congregation. As in 1844 the valuable property which surrounded it saved it from the incendiary's torch, so, no doubt,
in 1744, its contiguity to the Quakers' Alms-House was its
gre~t protection.
Father Joseph Greaton, according to the most reliable
data, was, as has been stated above, a native of Devonshire,
England, though some, who give his name Josiah Creaton,
claim him as a native of Connaugh!· in Ireland.t He was
born in the year 168o, studied on the continent, and entered
the Society of Jesus, as a priest, July 5th, 1708. His vows
as a professed Father, were pronounced on the feast of
St Dominic, August 4th, 1719. He had more than once
visited different parts of Pennsylvania and the Colony of
Philadelphia, previous to his being stationed in the rectangular City. He appears to have been a man of great energy
of character, laboring faithfully throughout the three states
----- --
------
--'------
*Archbishop Marechal's acoount to the Fathers at Georgetown.
t Amo:1g the memoranda collected by Fr. Barbelin was a letter from
a lady friend, in Boston, to Father Joseph Greaton, in which she speaks
of his father's beautiful place at Ilfracombe, near the magnificent hea{}lands that skirt the Bristol Channel.
�St. Yoscplt's Clwrdt, P!uladdpltia.
of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. About the
time of his profession, he came into his patrimony, and
contrary to the custom prevailing in our ·Society, he was
granted permission to use his money for missionary purposes. It was \\'ith this money he purchased the grounds on
the Nicetown Road, in other places in the City and State,
and it was with Father Greaton's money that Father Harding, at a later period, procured a large lot of ground in
Fourth Street above Spruce extending back to Fifth Street,
and built the original St. Mary's Church, no appeal having
been made to the faithful, and no grant having been obtained from the Proprietor. In 1750, he was recalled to
Maryland, and on the 19th of September, 1753, died. at our
Residence at Bohemia Landing.
Father Greaton during his eighteen years' pastorship,
always claimed to be a citizen of Philadelphia, and in his
will called himself 'of Philadelphia.' This will bears date
September 2nd, 1749. He devised all his worldly goods
to his friend Robert Harding, of Philadelphia, gentleman :
. in the case of the death of Robert Harding before himself,
to Robert Digges, of Prince George County; Maryland:
the executor to be Mr. Harding or Mr. Digges. The witnesses to the will were Rev. Theodore Schneider, John
Dixon and Patrick Carrol. This "last will and testament
o~Joseph Greaton" was proved in August of 1753.
Ten years before his removal Father Greaton's labors
became so heavy as to call for an assistant, and the Rev.
Henry Neale, S. J ., who had come to this country from
England in 1740, as a missionary, was on the 21st of April,
1741, appointed to St. Joseph's as colaborer with Father
Greaton. He found the people living in a more luxurious
manner than he had supposed; and having nothing but the
allowance made him in England, in a letter to his superior
written four. days after his arrival in Philadelphia, April
25th, he says; "I find things otherwise than represented in
·England, I mean as regards a competent maintenance of
l
'
.I
�88
St. Yosep!t's C!wrc!t, Pluladdp!tia.
one m my station, for an annuity of £20, only, will not
suffice." Father Henry Neale was an Englishman by
birth, though related to the l\Iaryland family of that name.
He was born in 1702, entered the Society in 1724, and was
professed in 1743.
In 1747, Father Henry Neale bought from the Proprietors of Pennsylvania, for the sum of £25, one hundred and
twenty-one acres of land, at Goshenhoppen, now called
"Churchville, Colebrookdale," Berks Co. This was increased in 1748, by three hundred and seventy three acres
purchased by Father Greaton for the sum of £5 I. It was
about this time that he, Father Greaton, bought "Pigeon
hills," Adams Co., afterwards the site of the Little Seminary of the Sulpicians. Father Henry Neale's duties were
onerous, and he died in Pennsylvaqia, on May 5th, 1748,
leaving Father Greaton again alone in his charge of St.
Joseph's, being occasionally assisted by Father Robert
Harding, and Father Theodore Schneider, until his recall
to Maryland.
Father Robert Harding, a native of England, who had
arrived in this country in 1732, and liad labored in l\·Iaryland and occasionally in Pennsylvania, was, upon the recall
of Father Greaton, in 1750, appointe.d his successor at St.
Joseph's. Father Theodore Schneider who was born in
Bavaria in 1703, entering the Society in his eighteenth year,
1721, had, in 1741, founded the mission of Goshenhoppe·n.
and in 1748 built the first chapel of the "Most Blessed Sacrament" on "the Goshenhoppen Farm." Father Schneider
, was a man of erudition, having professed Philosophy at
Liege, and been Rector Magnificus at Heidelberg. For a
short while, in his early labors at Goshenhoppen, he was
assisted by Father William \Vapeler, a native of \Vestphalia, born in 17 I I. He entered the Society in 1728, and in
1741 founded the mission at Conewago, Adams Co., Penna.
Father.· Schneider visited Philadelphia, monthly, to assist
Father Harding, and confess the Germans.
�St. J'oscplt's Ozurdz, Pltiladclp/zia.
Sg
About this time, 1757, the original Chapel of St. Joseph's was lawfully and peacefully razed to the ground, to
make room for an enlarged structure sixty by forty feet 'running East and \Vest, the incre?.se in the congregation rendering this enlargement necessary. In April of this year, Father
Harding gave to the Provincial authorities an account of the
members of his congregation. Of those over twelve years,
who had made thei; first communion, there were seventyeight females and seventy-two males, mostly Irish. The
congregation of Father Schneider, consisted of one hundred
and seven males and one-hundred and twenty-one females,
all Germans.
In the early part of 1759, Father Ferdinand Steinmeyer,
assumed name Farmer, born in Swabia, Germany, Oct. 13,
1720, and who had entered the Society of Jesus at Landespergen, Sept. 26, 1743, was sent to St. Joseph's. Besides
assisting Father Harding in the care of his congregation,
Father Farmer journeyed throughout Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey and New York (then called New c~sarea), instructing, confessing, baptizing, anointing and celebrating
the Dread Sacrifice. Every month, on horse-back, he visited New York, and so great were his labors there that he
gained the grateful veneration of all the Catholics and was
by them viewed as the real Apostle of the Faith in that
city. \Vhen Father Carroll, afterwards the first Bishop, became superior of the American missions, he appointed Father Farmer, Vicar of New York, which he governed from
St. Joseph's. It was just previous to one of his monthly
visits to New York, that he was attacked by his last sickness, still he made, on horse-back, that journey of nearly a
hundred miles, and returned on May the 7th, 1785, to linger until August, 1786, when he died. In our congregation
are two maiden ladies of advanced age,* whose mother was
one of Father Farmer's converts, and who treasure, among
* The
:i\Iisses Ann and Eliza Corcoran.
�90
St. Yosep!t's Clwrclt, P/zilade!p!tia.
their most prized possessions, a little table presented by the
holy Jesuit.
Iri the meanwhile, Father Harding was not idle at old St.
Joseph's. He instructed the faithful and buried his beloved
dead in the little "God's Acre" west of the Church, whose
humble mounds were shaded by two gigantic \Valnut trees.
It was rather the increasing demand for resting places for
those who "sleep in the Lord," than the increased number
of those "fighting the combat" that induced Father Harding, in 1763, to employ the money of Father Greaton in
purchasing "St. l\Iary's Burying Ground" and building that
Church, which in 1810 was enlarged to its present noble
dimensions. Father Harding also assisted Father Farmer
in his missionary duties and so arduous were his labors
that he died at St. Joseph's, Philadelphia, on the Ist of September, 1771, beloved by all and keenly,bitterly and affectionately remembered.
Father Harding's successor in the pastorate of Saints Joseph's and Mary's was Rev. John Lewis, S. J., a native of
Engl~nd, who was soon recalled to l\Iaryland, where he aftenvards became Superior, and in 1783 presided at two
meetings of the Missionaries of America.
The early Pastors of St. Joseph's :vere most careful in
presenring the records of their baptisms and marriages.
Those of Fathers Greaton, Henry Neale, and those of Father Harding, excepting such as are entered in the Registry
of Father Farmer are lost. They were lent to some one
seeking data for an Ecclesiastical work and never returned.
This is a great pity, as they, no doubt, would throw much
light on the earliest years of St. Joseph's.
Father Farmer's registries, however, are complete and in
good preservation. They date from the 27th of August,
1758, and come down to within a fortnight of his death.
They are written in a clear, legible hand, remarkable for
their ne~tness-short, concise, in small books that have been
carried thousands of miles, in the very heart of a hostile
�St. 7oseplz's Clwrclt, Pltiladclpltia.
army, during the darkest hours of our Country's strife.
These records furnish matter for much interesting study.
The Baptism registry begins without any heading with
this entry. "I 75 8. Philadelphia. I 7 September: :Jacobus
natus I4 Aug. huj. anni ex Josepha Kaufman Cath. & Anna
Cathar. Prot. legitimis Conjugibus, Patrinis Joane Gatringer
& Catharina Spenglerin, Cath'cis." and ends with "1786,
Philadelphia. ] uli 30. 7oau. Nicolaus natus 13 April h. a.
ex Caspar Albert & Ana. P. Nicolao Steiner & Margaretha Hedinga Cis."
It was not long after his arrival that Father Farmer started
out on his missionary excursions. As early a~ the beginning of November, we find him in Delaware County at
Concord, or more properly speaking, at Ivy Mills-: "in
Concord d. 5 Nov. ,liaria nata I 3, Maji, a. I 7 s6, ex David
Lewis Pr. & Ida I. c. ut suppono. Patrinis Jacobo Willcox
& Elizabetha ·willcox Cath'cis."
This baptism took place in the chapel attached to the
mansion of Mr. James \Villcox, where mass has been offered as early as 1758, and where mass has continued to
be offered up, from time to time until the building of the
Church of St. Thomas the Apostle at Ivy Mills. Contiguous to this residence is a grave-yard containing many an
ancient grave. The present head of this eminently Catholic family is Mark \Villcox, Esqr., Proprietor of the "Catholic Standard," official organ of the Rt. Rev. Bishop of the
Diocese.
De Courcy, in his work, "The Catholic Church in the
United States," is very inaccurate in his dates, as I think
I will later have occasion to show, and, I fear he is sometimes ill-informed as to his f.1cts. Speaking of Fr. Farmer,
he says: "The Revolution, which. made New Jersey the
battle-field between the contending armies, interrupted his
visits."*
*De Courcy-p. 406.
I
�St. :Joscplt's Clmrclt, Plu"ladclp!tia.
On August 30th, IJ76, the American Army retreated
from Long Island: from that time until June the I 8th, I 778,
New Jersey was occupied either by the Royal or Provincial
troops. In Father Farmer's Registry we find this entry:
"I776 in N. Caesar. Oct. I6 Cat!tarina, nata 27. Sept. h.
a. ex Joanne Ells & Anna Eliz, I. c. c. P. Conrad Philipps c.
pro Jno. \Villhelmo Schaffer c." October I 7th, he was at
Change \Vater, Oct. 20th at Mount Hope, Oct. 22nd at Charlottenburg, 26th at Long-Pond. At all these places, he
offered up the ever-adorable "God of Peace," gave instructions on tru~ 'patriotism, and baptized from one to ten infants or youths. The retreatiqg Provincials, at this time,
occupied all these places. On the I 2th of December, he
was back in Philadelphia, and we may imagine the feeling
'of this staunch lover of civil liberty, when Congress was
obliged to retire from the City where the Declarati~n of
Independence had been signed and proclaimed. On the
26th of September, I777. General Howe occupied Philadelphia, but Father Farmer who could penetrate the American
Army ~vhile besieging New York, was not afraid, and, while
the hostile armies were exchanging leaden compliments,
within hearing, at Chew's, ncar Germantown, the fearless
Priest was quietly engaged at St. J oseph:s making Christians
ofthree little girls and one little boy, b~bies. As long as the
British occupied Philadelphia, Father Farmer's labors were
restricted to Philadelphia and its immediate neighborhood
but when they evacuated the City, followed by \Vashington
and his brave followers, among whom was the "Irish Brigade" raised, in great measure, by the persuasive words of a
Molyneux and a Farmer, we find that by August 25th, he
is already in Goshen, Orange Co., N. Y., and back again by
the beginning of September to Salem and Gloucester in
New Jersey, and then without rest, that he return<> before
the end of the month to Mount Hope, to Charlottenburg, to
Long Po!Jd, to H unterdon-surely he should belong to the
'Light Artillery'! And so on to the end. The warlike
�St. :Joseplt's Clmrclt, Plti/adelpltia.
93
throes of a great Nation's birth did not prevent immortal
souls from making their entrance into this world and im-·
mortal souls from taking their exit, and where there was joy
and \vhere there was grief, Father Farmer felt that there he
should be.
Father Farmer's Marriage Registries are also deserving
of notice. The headings, each announced the standing of
the priest. The first, begun in 1758, at his first arrival in
Philadelphia, reads: "Sequentes, ego Ferdinandus Farmer
Soc. Jesu Missionarius, interrogavi, eorumque mutuo consensu habito, solemniter per verba de praesenti Matrimonio
conjunxt.
The second, begun in 1769, has this heading:
"Sequentes, ego Ferdinandus Farmer Soc. Jesu (usque ad
dissolutionem ejusdem) Presbyter & Missionarius, interrogavi, eorumque mutuo consensu habito, solemniter per verba de praesenti Matrimonio conjunxi." The words in brackets were inserted after the suppression of our Society.
How happy would this good Jesuit have been if he could
have died again, the subject in tltc Society of his esteemed
friend Father Molyneux. His third registry shows his position to be what the world would consider more exalted,
but which, I am sure, he valued not near as much, as that of
the humble Jesuit priest. It begins: "Sequentes, ego Ferdinandus Farmer Sacerdos & Missionarius Apost., in~erro­
gavi, eorumque mutuo consensu habito, per verba de praesenti solemniter Matrimonio conjunxi."
From these registries may be formed some slight idea of
the stupendous amount of labor performed by this saintly
missionary, though we cannot form any accurate notion of
the baptisms and marriages performed by him, as all are not
inscribed in the registry in our possession ; many having
been written in a registry kept in New York, as appears
from a memorandum in his Baptismal registry.* The Bishop
of Newark, the Right Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley,
* Baptismal Registry
p. 11
�94
St. Yosep!t's C!turc!t, P!tz!ade!phia.
(at present, 1873, Archbishop of Baltimore) in his "Brief
Sketch", speaks of his having visited l\Iacoupin twice a year;
I can find but one record of a baptism at l\1acoupin. The
Bishop speaks of Geiger's being near l\iacoupin. I am inclined to think that it was in Geiger's house that the monthly mass was offered up in New York City. \Ve are told
that he visited that City every month ; almost every month
we find marriages and baptisms recorded as performed at
Geiger's, and these marriages are generally preceded by
the 'thr:ee denunciations', as Father Farmer naively styles
what we mor:~ politely call 'proclamations'. In a memorandum, immediately after a record at Geiger's, he speaks of
"walking to \Vall Street." The record of the first baptism
performed at Geiger's reads : "1 7 59· In domo Matt Geiger,
I 5 Mart., Anna .Man·a nata 20 December I 7 58 ex Martino
Holder et Margaretha 1. c. c., Pc.trinis Philippo Jacobi et
Susanna Geigerin, Cath'cis."
In the sama. year we find the first recorded baptism of a
catholic slave. "Philad. d. 25 Jul. Thomas, niger Jeremiae
Savage. Patrina, Bridget Savage. ceremoniae sup.plendae
usque ad Chrism."
In May, 1761, he commenced the m1sswns at "Glasshouse" north of New York City. "Glass-house: N. Y. d.
14 Maji J'oamzes Adam, natus 27 -April h. a. ex Jo. Wilhelmo Wentzel, Cath. et Anna Maria Pr. L. C. Patrinis,
Joafie Adamo Geiger, Cath. et Afia Aberhin, Pr." This
baptism presents the novelty of a Protestant Godmother.
In this same year we find him marrying ten couples, poor
exiles from Acadia. In 1762, he begins in the house of
Thomas M'Guire, the mission of Chester, which can now
boast its St. Michael's Church, with two pastors. In 1765,
he founds the missions of Pikesland, Ringwood and Haycock, Bucks Co., and Mary Fagan was the first christian
baptized in the congregation of St. John the Baptist. In
1766. "Bascanridge": in 1767, "Gothland"; in 1768, "Charlottenburg" and "Reading-Furnace," are visited and congre-
�St. :Joscp!t's Clmrclz, Plziladelp!tia.
95
gations formed. This year he baptized one hundred and
ten.
In 1771, Pilesgrove miSSil n is begun; in 1772, Long·
Pond; in the latter part of the same year Cohanzey, in cen·
tral New York; in 1774, New Hope, and also one in Sussex Co., in north western New Jersey, and Challosberg, in
Essex Co.
Father Farmer, like his co-laborer Father Molyneux, was
a staunch republican. He was present.at Philadelphia on
the glorious 4th of July, 1776, and although elated as only
the tru~ friends of the up-rising colonies could be elated, he
did not neglect hi> priestly functions. In his marriage registry we read: "1776. Philadelphia, Julii 4 (cum Lie. Praes.)
Yacobum ~Vds!t, viduum, et Honoram llfullarkey, puellam,
ambos Cath. ex hac missione. Praes. T. Dionysio Dougherty et Edwardo Cavenaugh, (q.)"
Frequently had Father Farmer visited Burlington, New
Jersey, many a time had he confessed the Irish who, from
time to time, had resided there; but our "Friends" had kept
away the "scandal of a Baptism" until the middle of 1776.
"In Com. Burlington. Jun. I8 :Joamzes natus I9. Aug. I775
ex \Vilhelmo Egan et Eleonora L. c. c. P. Patricio Kearns et
Margaretha Scot Cath'cis." Having gained an entrance into the fortress of Jersey Quakerdom, Pennsylvania's citadel
was soon surmounted : "Prope Bristol, Aug. 22. llfaria
:Jessop, juncta Thomae Martin c. P. Susanna Shaw. c. id.
cod. Aug .. 22. Riclzardus, natus Dec. I no, Anna nata I 8 Aug.
1773. Laurmtius, natus 10 Nov. I7J5, omnes tres ex Thoma
Martinet Maria L. c. c. P. Daniele Shaw. Joanne Magonigel
et Jacobo Robinson Cath'cis."
The first time the famous municipality of Kensington appears in these records is "I776, Kensington. loamzes, natus 28 Dec. 1775,ex Joafie Rittisheime et Catharina L. c. c.
P. Laurentia Connor C. q. Anna Catlzarina nata 7 Mart. h.
a. ex iisdem. M. Juliana Abteri C." Neither Father Farmer in I775, nor Rev. Terence Donahue, when in I833, h{,
�g6
St. Yosep!t's Clwrclt, P!ti!addp!tia.
from St. Joseph's, built St. Michael's Church, dreamed that
this portion of the city would, in 1872, contain eight churches, namely, St. Michael's, St. Peter's, St. Ann's, St. Bonifacius', the Church of the Immaculate Conception, St. Dominic's, St. Joachim's and St. Veronica's.
The same year he opened a mission at \Vhiteland, west
of New York City. In 1778, he began at Goshen, Orange
Co., New York, the congregation that now_ worships in
St. John's Church; at Salem, in lower New Jersey, the congregation of'.St. Mary's, and in Gloucester, N. ]., anoth<:r
St. Mary's> In 1781, he founds the missions of Deerfield.
·woodstown and Greenwich in New York State-visits Fishkill, Dutchess Co., the site of the present Church of "Our
Lady of the Rosary," where in four.days he baptizes fourteen and gives conditional baptism to six. In 1785, we find
him in the neighborhood of Newark, the episcopal city of
the diocese of Newark. "1785. Prope Newark. Oct. 3· Sara
nata 1780, ex Henrico Foy c. et Sara L. c. P. Jacobo \Veisenburger." The next day he founds the mission at \Vest
Hob~ken and West Highland. In 1786, the last year of
his eventful life, he founded the congregation of St. Stephen's, Warwick, Orange Co., New York, where he bap~
tized seven.
..·
\Vithin three weeks of his death, this holy laborious missionary, who was accustomed to travel on horseback many
thousands of miles each year, gathering into the fold the
scattered sheep of the Shepherd, was, through weakness, no
longer able to leave the house, but he could baptize and, within a few days of his departure to his eternal home, he crept
down stairs to unite in the irrepealable bonds of holy matrimony two of his spiritual children,· who had come more
than a hundred miles to gain his blessing.
At the end of the third Marriage Registry of Father
Farmer we read, in the hand-writing of Father Molyneux,
these sorrowful, yet glorious, words: Hoc anno obiit pix
memori;e R. Pater Ferdinandus Farmer, alias Steinmeyer,
�St. Yvscplt's Clmrclz, Plziladelplzia.
97
17 die Augusti.
Requiescat in pace. Amen.*
Father Farmer was tall and upright, of a ruddy, pleasi-ng
countenance, graceful in manner and fluent in conversation,
A frequent and welcome
full of bonlzomie and anecdotes.
guest at the table of catholics and protestant~, partaking
moderately of the good things placed before him, not un~
frequently called from the hospitable board of some wealthy
citizen to anoint the dying or advise the doubting, and always leaving a void behind him. In his disposition he was
gentle, like his Model, but showing by the bright flash of
his light grey eye, that he could feel for his Master's honor
and defend His cause. He was a philosopher and astronomer, intimate with the literati of his day, and, in 1779, one
of the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, soon to be
Philadelphia's pride.t
Father Lewis, having been recalled to Maryland, was
succeeded by Father Robert Molyneux (English not French
pronunciation). Father Molyneux, like all his predecessors, was an Englishman by birth, having been born in Lancashire, June 24, 1738, and happily admitted into the Society of Jesus, in 1757. His was an eventful life, his it
was to instruct the first Archbishop of Baltimore in Philosophy, his it was, while at St. Joseph's, to receive a copy
of Bishop Challoner's letter informing the Fathers in England of the suppression of the Society of Jesus: his it was to
direct St. Joseph's congregation when it no longer made a
tnan a pariah to be a Catholic, but even a Quaker thought
catholic influence of sufficient importance to be courted,in the early days of the Revolutionary struggle. Father
Molyneux was pastor, with Father Farmer as assistant,
during the whole Revolutionary War, and in 1781, when
a solemn service of Thanksgiving was offerred to Almighty God for the assistance rendered by France to the
* Third Registry. p. 125.
t The description given by Mrs. Corcoran, for many years his penitent.
�g8
St. 7osep!t's Omrclt, Pltiladelp!tia.
struggling Colonies. I have seen it stated, that \Vashington
was present on that occasion, but I can find no authority
for the statement, but tradition. Abbe Bandol, Chaplain to
the French Minister, preached on the occasion.
In Father Farmer's Registry there is recorded a marriage
blessed by this distinguished French clergyman. "I 782
Philadelphia, Novembris vigesimo quarto, Nic/wlaum Ferree, oriundum de Grandville in Normandia, solutum, &
Amtam Butler, filiam Thomae Butler & Bridgitae Bennis,
conjugum, oriundam de Limerico in Hibernia. Praesentibus testibus..notis qui subscripserunt
L'Abbe Bandol, aumonier de son N p
,
E xce 11 ence 1e l\" · ·
· erree.
~tmstre d e F ranee,
{ Joseph Marino, Charles Carre. Ann Butler."*
In a slip of old paper, I accidentally found in an Atlas,
the title and date of said paper being unknown, it was stated
that on Thursday, the Ist. of March, 1781-the day of the
final ratification of the alliance and perpetual union of the
States, "the Romish Church of St. Joseph's, back of Walnut Street was splendidly illuminated, in the afternoon; a
solemn 'Tt' Deum being chanted : the venerable Ferdinand
Farmer being the celebrant, assisted by Rev. Robert Molyneux. M. de Luzerne, Minister of· the King of France,
with his suite was present."
..· ·
'
·
T emoms
The 25th. of August of same year-the birth day of the
King of France, Louis XVI. was celebrated at St. Joseph's
with much pomp. The French Minister was present at
mass, his musicians accompanying the organ, and some of
the gentlemen of his household singing. L' Abbe Bandol
was celebrant and Father Molyneux, the Orator of the day.
Shortly after the death of Father Farmer, at the beginning of the year 1787, Father Molyneux began a new
Marriage Registry. It is written with much care. Its titlepage reads:
*Second l\Iarriage Registry-1782.
�St. :foseplz's Clmrclt, P!tiladelpltia.
99
LIBER MATRIMONIORUM,
AB ANNO 1787
AD ANNUM 1799,
INCLUSIVE.
Quod Deus <:onjunxit, homo non separet. Matth: 196. \Vhat God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Qui bene eruditi sunt in fide catholica, noverunt
quod Deus fecerit nuptias: et sicut conjunctio a Deo, ita
divortium a diabolo sit. The instructed Catholic knows
God to be the author of Marriage : and as the knot is tied
by God, so it is loosed only by the devil.
St. Aug. Tr. 9· in Yomt.
Then follow twenty-five pages of the index, after which
we have a second title-page. Father Molyneux was exceedingly stout, which caused him to remain much at home.
Father Farmer could have hardly found time to ornament
the books that accompanied him on so many thousand
miles of hard riding. Aftert his index Father M. begins
again thus:
AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM.
---=~~====================
SEQUENTES
Intcrrogati, eorumquc mutuo conscusu !tabito, per verba de
pra:senti so/cmnitcr matrimonio conjzmcti sunt a Missionarits
CATHOLICIS PHILADELPHL£
Philad~!phi~Jan. ro.---A-Rev. Rob. Molyneux, tribus
i
pr<emissis promulgationibus, Hugo
M'Kinley C. et Catharina Quick Pr.
-Pr<esentibus testibus Gul. M'Dermott, Sam. Harrison.
Father Molyneux remained at St. Joseph's only one year
after so elaborately commencing this Registry. He was
withdrawn by his former pupil, Father John Carroll, at the
end of February, 1788.
�100
St. 7oscplz's Clmrclt, Plti/addp!tia.
During his pastorship he was by no means idle in the
work of his Master, though it was while he was pastor of
St. Joseph's, that began the scattering of the land and property bought by Fathers Greaton, Neale and Harding, most
of which, during the interregnum of 1800-1834 passed
into other hands. In Father Molyneux' private registry
we find this memorandum: "Robertus Molyneux 1775-1.
Maii. Mem. To speak to Mr. Cauffman, to sign over a warrant for the land in Pigeon Hills to Mr. Lewis." Almost
immediatelyafter the suppression of the Society, the purchases of I:ather Greaton began to pass to others.
The cessition of hostilities between the United States
and Great Britain was proclaimed by General \Vashington,
on April 19, 1783. Before this, Father Molyneux, remembering the importance of educating the young for heaven,
while their minds are being prepared for the duties of life,
had his Parochial School erected. Then, as now, our schools
had to be supported by the offerings of the faithful. In the
early part of I783, we find this account:
-~Rec'd. by Robt. Molyneux, for the School:"
£. s. d.
----------------------------------------from
Subs' d.
Alex. Rogers, pd.
Felix McKernan, pd.
Owen Garrigan, on Dr. .K~nnedy's
place, pd.
Lent him a catechism.
Ditto.
0
0
I IS
I 0
10
0
IS
0
o
o
I
0
I
John Comely, pd.
[ 3
Daniel Fitzpatrick, pd.
o
Jeremiah Sullivan, pd.
9
IS
Capt. John Walsh, pd.
1 3
Patrick Crogan, pd.
Monsr. Rendon, Spanish Agent, pd. I I
10
Capt. Baxter's wife, pd.
Felix McKernan, pd.*
5
John Tracy, pd.
3 1
, 3 g.
Charles De Costes, pd·
7 6
o
o
o
o
o
o
S o
o o
2
6
o o
o o
$S
Honor Lee, pd.t
0
0
3
o
o
1
.
*Probably by bdividual oollections. tLoose sheets Fr. l'ti's Reg. Pag. 7.
�St. :Joseph's Clwrdt, Plti!adclpltia.
101
During the suppression of the Society, this school-house,
afterwards the first Ecclesiastical Seminary of the Diocese
of Philadelphia, passed into the hands of trustees, when St.
:\Iary's Church was incorporated by the Legislature, and
trustees appointed, in 1788.
The opening of a Catholic school (it cannot properly be
styled a Parochial School, as there was but one parish in
the city and county at the time), soon necessitated the
administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The children and adults having been prepared by Fathers l\Iolyneux
and Farmer, the Sacrament was administered, for the first
time in this country, in 1784, by Rev. Father John Carroll,
Ecclesiastical Superior of the l\Iissions.
It is not improbable that Bishop Carroll not unfrequently visited Philadelphia; though I find but one record of his.
"1794, Oct 23. Matrimonio junxi Jfauritium Xcag!c et
Susmmam Taylor utrumque Catholicum.
J oannes Epis. Ibltrsis.
Testes fuere
\Vm. M'Cormick, Patrick Whelan, l\Iary O'Donnell.''
In 1788, Father Robert Molyneux was recalled to Maryland, where in 1806, with Rev. Charles Neale, Rev. Cl1a:-les
Sewell and Rev. Sylvester Boarman, former missionaries of
the Society of Jesus, he petitioned Pius VII. for permission
to form anew the Society in America. Bishop Carroll had already in 1803 written to Father Gruber, the Superior in Russia, begging him to readmit the Fathers living in the United
States. The Holy Father having referred the petition to
Father Gruber, he gave the necessary authority, and the
Fathers mentioned above renewed their vows to Father
l\Iolyneux, who had been appointed Superior. Father Molyneux was twice President of Georgetown College, time and
again refused the offer of the Coadjutorship of Baltimore,
and died, Dec. 9, I 8o8. His remains, if I mistake not, were
the first laid in "the lowly ,·alley of the dead" at Georgetown College.
�102
St. Yoscp!t's C!turc!t, P!ti!addp!tia.
\Vith the depa~ture of Father :1\Iolyneux, St. Joseph's
passed from the care of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus,
although until the removal of Father Leonard Neale, towards the end of I 799, at least one of the Fathers of the
old Society was to be found at this venerable Church.
Upon the death of Father Farmer, Rev. Francis Beeston
was sent as assistant to Father Molyneux. He filled the
office until I790, about which time, in I789, the Church
of Holy Trinity, at the N. \V. Corner of Spruce & 6th Sts,
was built. Father Beeston contin'ued the Missionary journeys of Fat!~er Farmer through the States of New York
and New Jersey-or as it was styled at the time, "the Mission of New Caesarea." In the Registries of St. Joseph's,
the Records of Rev. Francis Beeston and those of this mission, in a great measme, cease at this time, and it is probable
both were transferred to Holy Trinity Church. But as
Father Beeston continued to reside at the "Priests' House"
-at St. Joseph's, we occasionally find him assisting his
clerical brethren, by performing a marriage or a baptism.
-In 1787, Rev. Mr. \Vm. O'Brien and Peter Helborn were
for a short while assistants at St. Joseph's.
In the beginning of 1\Iarch, 1788, Rev. Lawrence Graessl
became pastor of the Churches of St .. Joseph and St. Mary,
with a supervision of the mission of. New Caesarea. He
was born at Rumansfeldem, in Bavaria, August 18, 1753.
During the six years he spent in Philadelphia, he was distinguished for piety and mildness. Bishop Carroll proposed
him to Rome, as his Coadjutor, and but for his too early
death, doubtless, he would have been appointed. He died,
at St. Joseph's, October, 1793. Rev. Mr. Graessl's first record, written in a legible, scholarly hand reads thus:
I 788.-Philad. l\Iaji: a Rev. Laur. Graessl, tribus praemissis promulgationibus, Adc.m Fox, et J11mgarita Nil!, c. c.
�St. Yvscplz's Clmrclt, Plziladclpltia.
103
Antonius Seibert.
Testes adfuere
{ Andreas \ Valdrink. *
The last marriage blest by him was at Charlottensburg,
September 19th, 1793-t
About this time he was succeeded by Father Leonard
Xeale, afterwards the second Archbishop of Baltimore. The
assistants, from 1789, were Rev. Christopher V. Keating and
Father Francis Anthony Fleming, a powerful wntroversialist, author of "The Calurhnies of Verus: or, Catholics ,·indicated from certain old slanders lately revived; in a series
of letters, published in difterent gazettes at Philadelphia, collected and revised by Verax, with the addition of a preface
and a few notes. Philadelphia: Johnson & Justice, 1792."'!
He and Rev. Lawrence Louis Graessl died during the yellow fever epidemic in I 793, martyrs to their duty.~
• Among his Marriage Records we read:
1790 I Feb. I Ab eodem Jl[att!Lms Carq Juvenis ct Hr:·Ibid. I 24. I gida Fla!tarcu, ambo Catholici.
Laur. Graessl
.
Testes adfuere
Christopher V. Keating.H
This Matthew Carey was a very distinguished citizen of
Philadelphia, during the first quarter of this century, and
senior member of the firm of Carey, Stewart & Co, who, in
I 790, printed at Philadelphia, the first edition of the Catholic Bible; the second edition of the Bible that had appeared
in America.
\ Ve also read :
Ab eodem Joseph \\'igmore Juv. et Han1 793
April
nah Coty, Puella, ambo Catholici.
Ibid.
Testes J Hugo Green
4·
adfuere let Jacobus Gallagher.~
.
J
l
•:· Mnrringe Hegistry of St. .JosPph's Church, p. 12.
,,
"
p. 5i.
t De Courcy-p. 221.
~
"
p. 221.
!I Marriage Registry, p. 3ii.
~;
p. 53.
t
�104
St. :lostpft's Clmrc!t, Plu!addphl~l.
Joseph \Vigmore b::!c:tm..! quite a celebrated character
about St. Joseph's. For nearly half a century he and his
wife lived in a small house on the East side of the \Valnut Street entrance. In 1795, he became sexton of the
Church and remained the Clergyman's right-hand man,
until the destruction of the old Church.
In 1794, a large number of immigrants, white and black,
arrived from San Domingo with the Rev. R. Boudet, as
Pastor; The. Marriage Records of this gentleman are a
study, seldom taking less than a page of the registry, containit;g a l:iiography of the contracting parties, and written
in almost Chinese hieroglyphics. In this same year we
find, in the Registry, a number of Baptisms recorded in an
almost unintelligible scrawl, by "L'arroque V. Pref. de sa
mission de Dominicains en Guadaloupe." Also a few by a
Rev. l\Ir. Elling, who probably accompanied the Vicar.Prefect.
Before this time, the holy sacrifice was offered up, during
the week, at St. Joseph's, and, on Sundays, Divine service
·was "held at St. Mary's, the smaller Church remaining
closed. But now, every Sunday morning and afternoon,
it was filled with a most devout congregation of colored
peopl~, whose piety drew tears from ~any an eye, and whose
singing, simple and stirring, filled rliahy a heart with longing after the sweeter strains of Sion. Some of these immigrants lived to a very advanced age. One of them died a
short time since at the venerable age of 107, and her weary
bones were laid in Trinity Church graveyard. Alas! most
of their descendants have, through neglect, been seduced
by the charms of a Methodist shout, and have been lost to
the Catholic Church. A very small number are among the
frequent communicants of St. Joseph's.
De Courcy, page 223 of "The Catholic Church in the
United, States", says: "At the outset of this century, the
Pennsylvania missions received a precious reinforcement in
the person of Rev. Adolphus Louis de Barth, who was ap-
�St. :Joscplt's Clwrdt, P/ti!addpltia.
105
pointed to the mission of L::mcaster, and there displayed
the most admirable zeal". Rev. Mr. de Barth's real name
was Adolph Louis de Barth \Valback. He was brother
to G::!neral \Vallhck, U. S. A., who was buried, some years
since, at Baltimore. He was born at :Munster in 1774,
studied at Bellay, and entered the Seminary at Strasbourg.
His first baptismal record at St. Joseph's, Philadelphia, was
made October the 9th, 1795, in his twenty-second year.
··Nil de mortuis nisi bonum" is an excellent adage. Still,
the beauty of charitable truth is never marred by the recorded presence of some light error of judgment or feeling, in
a whole lifetime, which was in other respects perfectly conformable to the christian model. In this connection, since
I have had most excellent opportunities of learning his disposition, and manner of acting, during the most critical period of the existence of the Church in this City, one little
phase of his character I have found, that appears somewhat
strange, no doubt because it is not perfectly understood.
Learned, accomplished, refined with child-like piety, laborious and filled with zeal, his many good qualities \vere said to
have been accompanied by a rather cold feeling towards the
Irish. This seemed to evince it~elf on various occasions
during his life. It led, as I will have occasion to show in
the second part of these annals, to mistakes of judgment,
whose consequences were not so fruitful of general good,
as his otherwise whole-souled devotion to the interests of
religion.
In June, 1795, Rev. Michael Ennis was added to the
corps of assistants at St. Joseph's. In 1795, Rev. Matthew
Carr; 0. S. A., D. D., arrived in America and, in 1796, was
sent to St. Joseph's, Philadelphia, as pastor of St. Mary's,
which about this time began to be a separate congregation.
He immediately set about building St. Augustine's Church
in North Fourth Street, which was dedicated in I 799·
In 1798, a marriage took place at St. Mary's which must
have caused much exc:itement among the fashionablcs of
�106
St. :Joseph's Church, Pltiladdp!tia.
the Capital and which shows that, at that time, Father Carr
0. S. A., was Pastor of St. Mary's but not of St. Joseph's,
as has been stated in an account printed in the "Catholic
Universe" in 1866.
Aprilis die lOrna 1798.
Infrascriptus Pastor Ecclesiae Catholicae apud Sanctam
l\Iariam Philadelphiae Matrimonio junxi Nobilissimum et
Illustrissimum Domin urn Carol urn l\Iartinez de Y rujo, filium legitimum l\Ianuelis Martinez de Y rujo et Dominae
Narcisae Tacon et Cardenas de Regno Murciae in Hispania,
Equitem Ordinis Regalis et insignis Caroli Tertii, Legatum
Extraordinarium et l\Iinistrum Plenipotentiarium Catholicae suae Majestatis apud Status Unitos Faederatae Americae, et nobilem puellam Mariam Teresam Sara l\I'Kean,
filiam legitimam Amplissimi Thomae M'Kean Supremi Judicis Status Pennsyh·aniae in America, et Sarae Armitage ex
altera parte coram testibus infrascriptis
Tho. l\I'Keari.
Le Chevalier d'Yrujo.
Le Chev. de Freire.
l\Iaria Teresa Sarah.
-Joseph Ignat. Drave.
Fr. Mattheus Carr (qui supra).
In I 797, the yellow fever again raged in Philadelphia
with fearful severity. The priests were overpowered by
their labors with the sick. At last, Rev. Michael Ennis and
Re\·. R. Boudet were both laid lo~ with it. Father Neale
and the other priests were all away on Missionary duties.
The Rev. Gentlemen thought they were both to die, and
were desirous of receiving the consolations of Religion.
They were lying in different rooms in the attic of the house
built sixty-five years before by Father Greaton. The housekeeper, a strong, buxom, young Irish maid was called, who
carried Rev. Mr. Ennis into the room of Rev. Mr. Boudet.
They confessed each to the other. Now the difficulty was
to get the Blessed Sacrament, the clear Viaticum for the
last dread journey. Honora again was summoned and
ordered to take a clean towel and, going to the Church, to
kneel and pray awhile, then to open the tabernacle and
�St. Yoscflt's Ou.rclt, Pltiladclfliia.
•
107
bring the Ciborium to the room. At first she objected;good pious soul, her reverence for the sacred species was
too great ;-but obedience gained the victory. They gave
holy communion to each other and had the Ciborium, that
little palace of palaces, placed where their dying gaze might
rest upon it. Next morning Rev. Mr. Ennis carried it to
the Church and Rev. R. Boudet, instead of dying, rose in a
few days to bury the dead. Honora, the good housekeeper,
afterwards became a lay sister among the ca"rmelites of
?\fa. ryland.
In March, 1799, Father Leonard Neale was removeu
from St. Joseph's Church to become Rector of Georgetown College, D. C., and on the 7th of December, I Soo,
he was consecrated Bishop of Gortyna in partibus and Coadjutor to the Archbishop of Baltimore. He took with
him from Saint Joseph's three pious ladies, the venerable
.-\.lice Lalor, l\Iary Neale and Maria l\I'Dermott,-they
were afterwards joined by a widow lady of some wealth,
Mrs. Sharp,-from St. Joseph's congregation. These
ladies, who had gained his esteem and affection by their
true humility and sincere piety, he placed in a house in
Georgetown, near the College ground.'>, where they lived in
community; and this Community was the cradle of. the
great and good Order ofthe Visitation in the United States.
A venerable priest* related an amusing anecdote connected
with their early history. After some time wishing to aggregate themselves to the order in Europe, they wrote to
France for some of the sisters and a copy of the rules. An
answer was received to the effect, that owing to the disturbed
state of France, it 'vould not be possible for any of the sisters to leave at that time. They, however, sent them a copy
of the rules and by the next ship would send them a doll
dressed as a nun of the order, from which they could copy
and form their own garb. The good sisters were not busi*Father John )lcEiroy, S. J.
�108
St. J'oscp!t's C/wrc!t, P!ti!addpltia.
ness women, so that when the ship arrived at New York,
there was no invoice and the box had to be opened at the
Custom House. The officers, as ignorant and prejudiced
as some of their successors in our time, named it "one of
the Gods the Papists worship" and kept it some time on exhibition as a proof of Romish idolatry.
Upon the departure of Father Leonard Neale, Father
1\Iatthew Carr, 0. S. A., D. D. ,became pastor of St. Joseph's,
as well as ~t. Mary's and St. Augustine's, and "Vicar General of the Arch-diocese of Baltimore, for the mission of
Philadelpbi~," with Father John Rossiter, 0. S. A., and Rev.
John Bourke as assistants.
After the suppression of our Society, in 1773, some one
of the former Fathers of the Society was always stationed
at St. Joseph's Church, but with the departure of Rev.
Leonard Neale, this state of things ceased. For thirty-four
years the Church was under the care of the Augustinian,
Franciscan and Dominican Fathers and the secular clergy.
\Vith the end of the eighteenth Century, we will close the
firslpart of this gossiping account of St. Joseph's Church.
When Father Joseph Greaton built the little out-building,
its congregation was forty; when Father Leonard Neale
departed for other fields of labor, tl~e number of Catholics
under the .charge of the Priests, re~iding at St. Joseph's,
was between eight and nine thousand.
( T(} be continued.)
'
�AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MISSION OF
NEW YORK AND CANADA.
About fourteen years after the happy day on which Piu~
VII. reestablished our least Society of Jesus, the Right
Re\·. Benedict Joseph Flaget, Bishop of Bardstown, ever
on the watch for new means of promoting God's glory in
his vast diocese, solicited from Very Rev. Fr. Godinot, then
Provincial of France, some missionaries to gather in the
rich harvest of souls that lay, a!ready ripe for the sickle.
amid the green prairies of Kentucky.
As an earnest of his eagemess to welcome the fathers,
he offered his own college of St. Joseph, in Bardstown, to
be placed at their disposal. But at th~tt time our apostolic
laborers were unable to meet all the demands upon their
charity even in their own country; so that, although it
must have gladdened the heart of our Very Rev. Father
Provincial to behold a new vista unfolding itself before the
reestablished Society, in that land to which the old Society, in virtue of its martyred sons, had acquired so just a
right; still, not a single harvester could be sparc"d for these
distant fields of America. The bursting crops could but
bow their heads in humble submission to the Master's will,
and abide the predestined moment of its due accomplishment. It came sooner than could have been expected.
The Almighty who, in His providence, transfers the gift of
Faith from a nation that has become unworthy of the precious deposit, to one more deserving, had already turned
his benignant countenance towards that portion of America, hitherto less favored than many other parts of our continent; had heard its suppliant "Rorate Creli desuper," and
�I 10
1Vtw York aud Dmadcl ilfissio11.
destined for these fields of the New \Vorld, many of the
Apostles whom the Old \Vorld was on the point of proscribing.
The Revolutionists of 1830 were not slow in their work
of proscription ; and the Omnipotent made use of their very
impiety to further his own merciful designs. The storm
that swept over France served to waft the richly-laden
vessels of benediction that rode at anchor in its but lately
peaceful waters, towards other ports, and other lands.
America received its share of the blessings.
The ne:y Provincial of France, Very Rev. Fr. Druilhct,
not unmindful of the application for missionaries made by
Bishop Flaget, two years previous, and supposing 'that circumstances had remained unaltered in Bardstown, deemed
it advisable, in the present _state of affairs, to comply with
the prelate's request. Fathers Chazelle, Ladaviere and Petit,
with the devoted brother Corne, were selected for this new
mission; and-having been kindly furnished with the means
of defraying their expenses by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, they bade farewell to their friends, and
their country, and sailed from Pauillac, near Bordeaux, Nov.
19th, 1830.
On the 5th of Jan., the eve of the Epiphany, the island
of Guadaloupe hove in sight. Here the ship cast anchor
and our fathers once more gladly trod the earth, having
been almost two months at sea. The following day, Rev.
Fr. Chazelle had the happiness of opening his new career
by preaching, at the request of the parish priest, on Christ's
manifestation to the .Gentiles. But the regions to which
he and his little band were to bring the good tidings of the
gospel were still far distant; so they reembarked without
delay. Fifteen days more on the waves brougl1t them to
New Orleans, the terminus of their journey by sea. There
still r~mained upwards of x6oo miles of overland travel,
before they could reach Kentucky; but as the season
was far advanced, and the rivers closed to naviga-
�1Vcw York m1d Canada Jfission.
I I I
tion for the season, they were forced to tarry two months
in New Orleans. This delay they turned to the greater
glory of God : Rev. Fr. Chazelle flew to the prison cells
of some slaves condemned to death, accompanied them
with words of hope and consolation to the place of execution, and then devoted himself to the work of teaching
catechism to the little children. The other Fathers were
likewise employed in spiritual works of mercy.
Meantime Rev. Fr. Chazelle had written to acquaint
Bishop Flaget with their arrival. The letter fell as a thunderbolt on His Lordship, as well as on the priests of his
diocese: for when, in 1828, the saintly prelate had found
it impossible to obtain any members of the Society, for the
management of his college, he had handed it over to the
secular clergy. His astonishment then, at seeing the Fathers present themselves to enter upon the discharge of their
anticipated duties, was equalled only by .the amazement of
the Fathers themselves, when they learned that these duties
were already fulfilled by others who looked on them almost
as intruders. The Bishop scarcely knew what answer to
give to Rev. Father Chazelle's letter; still he expressed a
hope of finding some work in his diocese for the missionaries; and encouraged by the prelate's reply, Fr. Chazelle
set out with Fr. Petit, leaving the rest of the little colony
still at New Orleans.
Had naught been consulted but the good Bishop's love
for the Society, there would not have· been a moment's hesitation or delay; but as matters actually stood, the saintly
prelate was at a loss how to act. To send back the Fathers
after they had been so ardently longed for; when, after so
many dangers, they were actually on the field, and on all
>ides the rich harvest was waving in the breeze, as if beckoning to them not to pass by: this he could not bring him~
self to do, and yet it was impossible to give them now ·what
be had before intended.
�I l2
1Vcw Vt1rk and Cmuula Jfission.
The bishop was too truly a man of God, (insignis pietatis, says the l\IS.) to doubt, after the first moments of surprise were over, whither he should look for light in his perplexity. The wings of prayer bore him aloft to the throne
of the ~Iighty Counsellor; into \Vhose Paternal Bosom his
doubts, and his troubles and hio;; fears were poured with a
filial confidence.
The more surely to obtain what he sought, he enlisted
St. Ignatius in his cause, by beginning in concert with Rev.
Fr. Chazelle a novena preparatory to the feast of our Holy
Founder:.' It would indeed have been surprising, had tlu.:
loving Father of all mankind turned a deaf ear to the prayers of these devoted pastors of souls, offered as they \\·ere
by the hands of the soul-enamoured Ignatius. And in
fact, the novena was not yet concluded, when the bishop
received an unexpected and extraordinary letter from a
priest of his dioce~e, the Rev. \Villiam Byrne, a man, for a
long time, by no means friendly to.the Society, and especially of late, greatly opposed to the entrance of our Fathers into Kentucky.
It would not be very difficult for us to imagine what the
purport of the letter might have been, but God Almighty
alone could have made it what it r,eally was. Suffice it to
say that the Rev. lVIr. Byrne offer.ed to the Fathers the
College of St. Mary's which, on ground givendiim by the
bishop, he had built, and for twelve years had been improving and beautifying. It was situated about ten miles from
Bardstown, and had attached to it a farm of nearly 300
acres. No price was stipulated; no condition or restriction
whatever laid upon the grant, save that Father Byrne should
continue to preside over the institution in the name of our
Fathers, until they would be in a condition to undertake its
full management themselves ..
Father Byrne's kind offer was immediately referred to
Rom~, but as delays were unavoidable, it was only on the
7th of July of the following year, 1832, that letters from
�"Vcw Yorio? and Canada Jfissiou.
113
:\lost Rev. Fr. Roothan announced his definitive approval of
the acceptance of St. :Mary's.
The little family, less numerous than that of St. Ignatius
and his first companions, seemed hardly able to meet all the
wants of a college; but, as in the still smaller family of Nazareth, Jesus was one of the number: with Him, all things
were possible. The Fathers accordingly entered on the
discharge of their new functions with all their energy. A
kind providence was watching over them, and, one by one,
new laborers joined them in the vineyard they were cultivating.
The first was Fr. Fouche, born in Paris, May 9th, 1789,
and, at the time of which we speak, director of the Seminary of Bardstown. The second was Fr. Evremond Harissart, born in the same city, May 19th, 1792, and likewise
superior. of a Seminary. They had both gone through a
spiritual retreat, under Rev. Fr. Chazelle, the preceding
year; and the result was but a repetition of the first victory
of the Exercises, three hundred years ago. It was the same
inspired book of the Exercises that was doing its work over
again.
As our nascent mission could not then boast of a house
of probation, the Province of Maryland, our elder sister,
kindly placed at our disposal its Novitiate at \Vhitemarsh.
Fr. Evremond was accordingly received within its friendly
enclosure and began his noviceship at once. Fr. Fouche
could not succeed in resigning his post in the Bardstown
Seminary before September of the following year ; and as
our Most Rev. Fr. General had, by that time, decided that
a Novitiate should be opened in Kentucky itself, under Rev.
Fr. Chazelle as Master of Novices, Fr. Evremond bade adieu to \Vhitemarsh, and with many fond recollections of
his first home lingering in his heart, joined Fr. Fouche at
St. Mary's. Thus it was that the first two novices of our
mission exchanged their lofty stations for the humble life
of the Novitiate.
�114
. ..:Vl·zu York aud Cauada 1J!zssioll.
The 22nd of December, I 832, though astronomically one
of those days on which the rays of the sun are most chary
of their gladdening visits to our earth, was more than usually blithesome and sun-bright for our little family at St.
Mary's; announcing, as it did, the arrival of three more
Fathers from Europe. France had already sent her missionaries to the forests of Kentucky, and, this time, Spain, Italy
and Switzerland furnished their quota. Not that the newcomers were natives of these parts of the globe, for Fr.
l\laguire was born in Ireland, and Fathers Gilles and Legouais in France, but they were actually laboring in these
several countries, and these countries it was that made the
sacrifice for the good of America.
\Vith what heartfelt emotions Rev. Fr. Chazelle must
have pressed to his bosom these brothers from the Old
\Vorld, those alone who have left country, and family and
home for Christ's sake can imagine. A day or two was allotted to repose after the fatigues of the journey, and then
the five co-laborers entered on the regular life of the Society '~ith all the punctuality and exactness observed in the
oldest house in Europe.
The first need that made itself felt was a knowledge of
the English tongue; and accordingly, all who were deficient in this respect, gave themselv.e~ up to the study of
the language of the country, with incredible ardor: FF.
Fouche and Evremond acting as professors of English literature to Fathers Gilles snd Legouais. So really heroic
w:as their desire to advance in their studies, that, as we find
recorded in the MS. diary of those days, it was strictly
forbidden to say a single word in French; and this generous sacrifice of what is so dear to everyone, the sweet music of his native tongue, was offered, as a pleasing holocaust
to Mary, during her lovely month of May.
Hitherto some of the members of our mission had never
met, but on the 13th of May, 1833, those Fathers who
had re.mained, as we have seen, at New Orleans, aiding
�JI/C'w York and Canada Jlission.
115
the good Bishop of that diocese, joined their companions
in Kentucky. Thus, for the first time, "sine quidem humano", says the MS., "non autem absque divino consilio", all
the FF. of the French Province, then in America, with the
exception of Father de Grivel, who filled the office of Master of .Novices in the Province of Maryland, met together,
in their common home, to the number of eight: "cum ingenti sane omnium gaudio, et mutua gratulatione." \Ve
are fain to believe that, if the edict expelling the French
language from the community had not yet been repealed,
the exile . was recalled from his banishment, at least for a
few hours; hours so swift-footed on such an occasion.*
\Ve have dwelt thus at length on the infancy of our mission, for the reason that there is always something sw:::etly
attractive in tracing out the first beginnings of even the
least of God's works; and because the halo of sanctity invariably encircles all pioneers on a new field of God's glory.
\Ve have even overstepped a little the actual date, at
which our sketch has now arrived, in order to display at
* The aged Fathers of our mission divide its history into three distinct periods: the Heroic, or Ji'abulous, the Pre-Historic, and the /It:;.
toric proper. Thus far we have been treating of the Fabulous times,
~lightly encroaching, however, on the era that begins to be dimly histmieal. The appellation given to the first period could not be more appropriate, ftJr, the MS. diary bears testimony to facts which, in our days,
~eem fabulous indeed. How the students, not a hundred in numbrr,
eonld be boarded and taught at the annual rate of $60 each: -How turkeys were one of the cheapest articles of ·rood to·be found: twenty-fin,
1·ents being sufficient to procure from any neighboring cabin a beautiful
~pecimen already dressed, cooked and fit for the table :-How the receipts
for tuition were seldom deposited in the hands of the treasurer, but
driven by the fhrmer, into the barn-yard, in the shape of well-fed porker~,
or else poured into the n,ilk ca:ts of the dairy.
The peculiar sort of book-keeping requisite in such circumstances, was
J•erhaps, more complicated than ordinary Double Entry; and the disposal
of the live-stock was not unfrequently the great event of the day Thus,
the only item of information we find recorded for Nov. 30th, 1833, is the
terse, but fearfully significant scr.tcnce! "porcis plurimis dies fatalis ;"
and this fatal day, wns probably of no rare occurrence in the domcstie
l'conomy of St. Mm·y's.
�I
16
.Nczu Yoli: and Canada Jl!ission.
once all the beauties of this picture of religious peace and
happiness, lest the coming storm-clouds should prevent our
noticing some of its less salient, but no less charming traits.
Though, in very deed, the storm-clouds themselves form
the most natural feature in every picture of the Society; and
a scene in which no such signs of the continued prayers of
Ignatius would be visible, either actually over the landscape, or already disappearing in the distance, or but just
merging from the horizon, would be but a chilling prospect
to every tnie son of our sainted Father: the finger of God
would not be there. And of the three, perhaps the scene
in which the storm is just appearing, is the most consoling;
for, the peaceful traits are still undisturbed, but, at the same
time. the rising clouds are an earnest that our peace is not
the false tr;J.nquillity of the world; that it is a peace, not
enervating, but strong and holy; and one that by no means
clashes with the sword Christ brought on earth.
How much soever the great ones of the earth may at
time2 seem to favor us, it will never cease to be true, that
the birthplace of the Society was the mount of l\Iartyrs; and
that not one of its many colonies has belied our first home : ·
not a single new province or mission has been founded, but
has been blessed with its share of ~tosses, and consequent
crowns. The first token of the comii1g storm was the advent of that messenger from above, that true scourge of
God, the cholera. This fearful epide'mic had, the preceding
year, (1832) visited the shores of North America and harvested its victims by thousands, filling the land with mourning and desolation; but its work was not completed, and
now it was once more on our shores, to glean what had escaped it before. Its approach was sudden : the first notice
of its entrance into the immediate vicinity of our Fathers,
was the cry for spiritual help from a woman attacked by the
terribl~ plague, Monday, June znd, 1833.
This was the
moment, fo.r devoted soldiers to fly to the post of danger; a
moment, which might prove the recompense of years of toil
4
�iYn:,, J'{wk and Canada 11lission.
117
and privation, which might be the stepping stone to a martyr's crown. Yet (with the exception of one unacquainted
with the language) not a priest was in the house, save
Father Byrne; all our Fathers who were wont to betake
themselves every Sunday, for the exercise of their ministry, to the neighboring villages, were still at their posts.
But the zealous Father Byrne, though, in his feeble state of
health, he might justly have feared to be, in the present
case, the victim rather than the saviour, hesitated not an instant-he was beginning on earth a triduum of charity
which he was to close in heaven. He visited the dying
woman assiduously on the 3rd and 4th inst., but on the 5th,
the eve of Corpus Christi, he read the smile of approval on
his l\Iaster's countenanc~; he g.lZ~d for the last time on the
Yelled body of his Sa\·iour, and ~vas then admitted to behold
It face to face, to celebrate t!te Feast of that adorable Body
in the abode of bliss. Nine hours had not elapsed between
the first .-;truggle and the crown. The Master had come
suddenly, but he found his servant watching, the lamp
of faith burning brightly in his hands ; the garment of
charity c.Jo~~ly girt around him The spot for his tomb
was, by permission of the Bishop, chosen on the ground of
the deceased that amid the very fields on which he had
toiled so long and with so much energy, and which he had,
with noble disinterestedness, dedicated to God's glory, he
might at last rest in peace. Father Byrne was by no means
an 0ld man, but he had lived for God, and
"Virtue, not rolling suns, the mind matures :
That life is ](Jng which answers life's great end."
Rc\'. Fr. Chazelle had to enter immediately on the full
administration of the College. His first concern was to
provide for the safety of the students, but they themselves
soon rendered all further measures of precaution impossible.
A panic seized numbers of them, who, the very moment Fr.
Byrne's obsequies were concluded, without a thought of
asking leave, forsook the college precincts. Of the refugees
�I 18
..Vcit' York and Canada Jlfissiou.
some passed the night in the n:::ighboring farm-house.;;
others, less £·wored, after lo.;ing th:.:ir way, w..:re forced to
lie down on the hard ground, with no shelter abm•e them
sa\·e the wide-spreading oak of the forest. Meanwhile the
Father.; devoted themselves to th·.::ir ministry un:iringly.
night and day. The calls upon the;r charity. \\·hether by
the plague-stricken, or those who only feared the apj)roach
of the epidemic, were so numerous, that the few laborers·
could scarcely respond to them all. Still, almost countless
was the number of souls which this merciful visitation of
the Almighty, \Vho loveth even while He chastiseth, gathered into th-e" heavenly garners, and which, otherwise, would
one day have been cast with the unprofitable cockle into
eternal flames.
But God still demanded as a holocaust from our own
number, one of the most useful of the little band-the price
of Calvary's blessing on our ftiture labors; at a moment,
too, when every laborer was extending so strenuously the
kingdom of God in the hearts of men: so little necessary
for GQd's work, are even the most devoted.
The terrible devastator after carrying off two of. the students who had remained, and one servant, came finally to
Fr. Maguire. This zealous missionary felt that he had not
long to live; he heard within him the call of death, and,
piously avaricious, dreading the loss of the least particle
of so precious a time, begged the assistants not to allow
him to be overcome by lethargy, but to rouse him by frequent aspirations. Their task was a light one indeed-no
external monitor was necessary to inflame the dying servant of God: his heart allowed no thoughts but those of
heaven to enter; his lips gave passage to no words save those
of eternity. Before his senses £>iled him, he earnestly
begged that his crucifix, his rosary and his book of rules
should repose upon his bosom ; that as they had been the
objects 9f his love in life, they might be his solace in
death; and it was his special request that all care should be
�"Vcw York and Canada J{ission.
I
19
taken, lest the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin which he had
worn from infancy should by any chance be removed. An
agony of excruciating intensity served to purify more and
more the wedding garment of the departing soul; and as
the holy religious had led a life of perfect obedience, so his
last moments were the fulfilment to the letter of the recommendation of the Constitutions, (Pars VI. Cap. 4.) In morte
unusquisque de societate eniti et curare debet ut in ipso
Deus ac Dominus noster Jesus Christus glorificetur et
proximi a:dificentur. Fr. Maguire was only 33 years of age,
and had been 8 years in the Society.
From the death bed of Fr. Maguire the holy viaticum
was carried to the couch of Fr. L ...... whose recovery
no one expected; whilst about the same time, Fr. Fouche,
busy with the dying at the neighboring \'illage of Lor.::tto,
was su.ddenly pro;;trated by the disease. It seemed indeed
as though our little bark would never be able to weather the
storm : one of the stalwart rowers had already been swept
away; two mo:·e seemed about to share the same fate-and
still the Divine l\Iaster slumbered. But the sh'adow that
hung so . darkly over us, was only that of the cross; the
clouds that had gathered so fearfully and so threateningly
around us, were of no deeper hue than those of Calvaryand Calvary had its Easter. Calvary saw the rising of its God
-that God \ Vho is e\'Cr able to inspire hope against hope.
At that very hotu· consolation was at hand, and though
it seemed only a stray beam that had found its way between the dark masses of clouds, silvering for an instant all
it met on its path to be followed next moment by a yet
thicker darkness, still a long series of brighter days was
not far off.
Fr. Fouche recovered after a week's illness; Fr. L .... ,
though sustaining an attack of more than I 2 days, was not
so soon to be called to his rest ; but was to be reserved for a
long life of useful toil, becoming the spiritual Father of
•:hildren unto the third and fourth generation.
I
I
'''I
''
'!
�120
"Vcc:t• }{wk and Canada Jlission.
The Cholera had disappeared, bu1 God's chastening rod
was still upraised. The 30th of December, 1833, was a
memorable day in the early history of our mission. Father
Chazelle had set out on horseback that afternoon to tran,.;act some business, inknding to return before nig:1tfall ;
but, as frequently happened to travellers in those days.
when roads were a luxury rarely met with, and when more
depended on the instinct of the beast of burden than the
intelligence of the rider, he lost his way in the forest, and
night coming ,on, was forced to seek shelter in a stranger's
cabin. Thus~ says the pious ~IS., did Divine Providence
spare the guardian of the house, the sight of the fearful
disaster that was about. to £<11 upon it: sweet sleep, after a
day spent in fatigue for God's service, soon closing his
heavy eyelids, while his flock was suffering so keenly for
want of its shepherd. But the kind Master for whom he
had toiled, took the place of the care-worn servant; the
Great Shepherd kept watch over the fold, and no harm was
to come to it but what He, in His providence, permitted.
The- students had just finished their night prayers in the
chapel, and were crossing the yard on their way to the dormitory, situated in an adjoining building, when, on a sudden, a huge column of flame burst forth from the very
building which they were approachin-g: There was a moment's stand-still in utter amazement and awe. Fire! fire!
were the first words that rang out from the mouth of every
student, on the clear, cold air of that winter's night; and
then followed the usual rushing of persons madly to and
fro, according as each one thought of some cherished object
that might still be snatched from the flames, or imagined
some new means of stemming the burning torrent. But,
no water was to be had-not even a ladder could be procured-and, especially, there was no one to direct the willing hands that were wasting their strength in efforts, unavailing ·because not united. And, all this time, poor Fr.
Chazelle was quietly reposing, a few miles away, utterly unconscious of the dread visitor of his little home.
�.Vc7'' 1"'iwk aud Cmada Jlission.
121
Some of the students' beds, and a number of books was
all that was rescued from the flames: the entire building,
save the four outside walls that still stood amid the wreck,
had become a heap of ruins. The work of destruction
was completed in half an hour; but the pang it caused was
of far longer duration, and was the more deeply felt as the
authors of the conflagration were, some time afterwards,
discovered to be two or three unruly students, who through
a motive of fiendish revenge, had coolly plotted this terrible
crime.
The Fathers, however, did not murmur at this new visitation from on high; on the contrary they found matter for
sincere thanksgiving in the fact that amid such confusion
and danger, not a single person had been injured; and it
\\•as a sweetly consoling thought in their personal distress,
that though they had lost one of their own dwellings, the
h?use of their loving Saviour, the temple of God had been
spared. In fact, when the conflagration was at its height,
and it seemed evident that not a single one of the buildings
coulu escape, the wind had suddenly veered around in
another direction.
During the whole time of the fire the students had given
·proofs ?f great de,•otedness and bravery, and though beds
had been prepared for them in an adjoining building, but
few cared to retire to rest. The greater number passed a
wakeful night beside the still smoking ruins, and as they
stood there, peering into the dying embers, their shadows
cast darkly on the crisp ground behind them, manifold
were their expressions of sincere condolence with their beloved instructors. But, at the same time, they could hardly have been able entirely to curb an undercurrent of less
saddening reflections concerning themselves personally;
and although they would probably have been better pleased
had a few more beds been spared, even at the price of all
the rescued books ; they must have found a boyish consolation in the thought that many a hard puzzling lesson was
�!22
JVcw York alld Ca11ada JVfissilllt.
deeper down in the heaps of smouldering- ashes before
them, than it had ever been able to penetrate into their les~
pervious skulls, and many a dog-eared volume was now
paying in the flames the penalty of having so often racked
young, innocent brains.
It was a fearful blow for poor Fr. Chazelle when the next
morning at day break, he was found and informed of the
dire catastrophe. He was not, however, disheartened: the
man who has placed his trust in heaven, earth's shocks can
not overcome~
..
"Though tempest frowns,
Though nature shnkes, how soft to lenn 011 !Ieav'n ;
To lean on Him on ·whom .An:hnugels lean !
His first act was to have recourse to the Giver of all life and
strength. This done, he held a consultation, and, at its close·,
informed the students that the first session was at an end;
that studies would be resumed towards the middle of the
coming month.
That evening, the last of the old year, the community a~
customary in the Society, entoned the Te Deum with grateful hearts, for the blessings of the past twelvemonth; and, after litanies, presented with filial love, to the head of the house
their best wishes for the coming year. .Rev. Fr. Chazelle in
his turn, thanked them with an overflowing heart, and with
paternal kindness, exhorted all not to be depressed by their
present misfortunes, but to labor strenuously and with union
of wills to endow their institution, already proved hy so
many trials, with all possible stability, according to the
measure of God's grace. It was the same vein of thought
as that in which, a few days later, he wrote to Very Rev.
Fr. Provincial. "Trials," said he in his letter, "must be accounted as graces, especially in the Society. As long as
God will be pleased to affiict us, we are t1r from being
unhappy, provided His crosses find us true sons of oi1r
Father, St. Ignatius."
�I",
-.)
The indom;table spirit that animated ,the head, actuated,
all the me:nb~rs; and the work of repair was undertaken with aruor. l\lany of the students and neighbors
imitated the example of the Fathers, who might be seen
here collecting the scattered bricks, there hewing massive
pieces of timber; or, when the building was roofed, nailing
laths to the joists, and, owing, no doubt, to the inferior quality of the iron, breaking vast quantities of nails, during
this thei~ first apprenticeship in the carpenter's trade.
\Vhere none were idle, the work must needs have rapidly
progressed; and indeed, despite the asperity of the season,
the very depth of winter, on the 23rd of January, the building was sufficiently repaired once more to receive the
students.
'
Nothing of note, now disturbed the pleasant monotony of
college life, previous to the 26th of Ju.ly, 1834, the First
.-\.nnual Commencement Day of St. Mary'~ College, since
its full management had devolved on the Fathers. The
exercises took place on ·a rustic stage erected under the
shady trees that surrrounded the house, and comprised,
among other literary productions, a tragedy, composed by
Rev. Fr. Chazelle, who, says his MS. biography, was convinced that to promote the glory of God in America, and in
Kentucky, he must first become a r .:al American, and a
Kentuckian. The play was entitled "Redhawk," and was
designed to illustrate the ancient customs of the Indians,
and the labors of the early American settlers: all turning to
praise of Christianity. The bright costumes of the natives,
in which the actors were arrayed, contributed not a little to
the success of the drama.
Perhaps it was owing to these and other sincere tokens
of love for America, exhibited by the Fathers, that a deeprooted affection towards them gradually took the place, in
the hearts of the people, of that feeling of suspicion and
distrust with which they had first looked upon the members of the Society. But whatever may have given it rise,
likewis~.
�124
iVc;u York aud Canada JllLutil!l.
' unequivocal proof that this affection really existed, \\·a,;
shown by a deputation from the citizens of the neighboring villa~e of Lebanon, who waited on Rev. Fr. Chazelle,
and offered to open a subscription for rebuilding the college
on a much grander scale. The Father recei\·ed them most
aff:1.bly and thanked them sincerely, regretting that he was
unable to give them, at once, a definitive answer. The
question was immediately referred to Rome, and after it
had been agitated for a considerable time, and recourse to
earnest prayer had been had on the part of all, it was finally brought ·tQ a close in I 836. when the foundations of the
new wing were laid. During the years in which the building was in process of erection, the devout annalist inform,:.
us that God, in His fatherly providence so tempered the
bitter with the swe~t, that although new trials came to prc\·ent our fathers from being too much elated by pro-;p~rity,
new joys succeeded lest they should be too much cast
down by adversity; and this, in so loving and merciful a
way, that the dark and troublous days were always outnumbered by those of sunshine and peace.
[To be continued.]
....
..:
XOTE-It will, no doubt, interP~t many I'Patll·r~ of the "Ll'ltt·r,-·· to
peruse a pnge from the earliest Catnlogtll' ofFranee we han· heL·n able to
procure, that make& mention of "Colll·p:ium KeutudwiPnsP atl S ~Iari:nn
t>t eonvictus,'' ineunte )IDCCCXXXYI.
R. P. Petrus Clwzelle, Y. Rector.
P. Thomas Legouais, )linister, 1Iagister NoYitiorum, Pro[ )lath .. etc.
P. Gulielmus Murphy, Professor, ete.
P. Xicolnu~ Petit, Prinm~ pra>fectu~ monun, !'!e.
P. Nicolnus Point, Pr~efectu~ ~tmliorum, etc.
P. Simon Fouche, Prof. :Mnth.; prrefectus morttlll. t·tc.
P. Xaverius (Evremond) Ileiissart, Prof. ling-ure Grrecne, ek
P. Vitaiis Gilles, Prrefectus Spiritunli~: Profe~sor lingnnl' Gnllica(·. ('(('.
Philippus Corne, Ad omnin.
Philippus Ledore, Coquus.
�THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER.
The Rev. Director of the Apostleship for the U. S.,
residing at \Voodstock, is constantly receiving numerous
letters from all sections of the country, bringing with them
the glad tidings of graces obtained from the bountiful
Heart of Jesus in answer to the prayers of the Associates.
From among the many instances which have thus been
brought under his notice he has allowed us to select the
following, which we present to our readers. not so much
because they are in themselves very extraordinary manifestations of tf1e divine power and goodness, as because we
wish to do honor in these pages to the Heart which it is our
glory and our pride to serve, and to offer a feeble tribute of
gratitude for the compassionate tenderness with which It
has responded to our petitions. Might we not also say, or
would it be thought presumption in us to suppose that the
recital of such favors may, perhaps, be a source of encouragement for those whose duty it is to labor for the interests
of this Adorable Heart ?
The progress of the Apostleship, since its humble beginning as a private devotion in 1844, has been successful in the
extreme, for to-day its records show a total of more than six
millions of members. The Communities and Congregations
throughout the U. S., which have been affiliated to it, may
be found in. the "Messenger" for January of the present
year. It is a goodly list and well calculated to afford
consolation to all who are truly zealous for the honor of
the Sacred Heart. It shows a widely extended organization in this quarter of the New World, and, judging of other
countries by wh~t we thus know of our own, we have every
�Tltc Apostles/tip of Prayer.
reason to hope for the speedy and perfect realization of the
wishes of our divine Lord in regard to the diffusion of the
spirit of prayer in these days. It is a sad thing to behold
some of the most accomplished and educated men bowing
down before the material world, over which God gave them
dominion, and receding farther and far:her from the Creator
in proportion as multiplied evidences of his goodness rise
up anew before them in their progress along the unexplored paths of knowledge. \Vhat is still more deplorable
is their wonderful activity in spreading their doctrines. At
this very ni:oment there exists a powerful league of scientific men for the dissemination, by means of cleverly written
articles, re\·iews, popular lectures etc., of Pantheism and
Nature-\Vorship among all classes. Very lately the Christian world was shocked by a blasplH::mous attack upon the
efficacy of prayer, and there cannot be a dot\bt that this
very occurrence gave a new impulse to the exertions of thost:
whom Jesus Christ has associated with Him self as colabore~s for the interests of his Sacred Heart.
Let us pray
for these wandering minds and implore that the light of
infinite \\'isdom, shadowed forth in faintest glimmerings in
events such as we subjoin below, may fall at length upon
them and bring them to the knowle~ge of something better
and nobler than the matter which engrosses them. Above
all let us constantly labor and pray for a more universal
establishment of that fountain of grace, the holy league of
the Apostleship.
But our readers must be anxious for the extracts we
have promised. We will give them verbatim as they were
received, for they need no word of comment.
A Lady writes to her brother: "I have just received, n letter from a
friend with an account of the heautifiil death of her conBin Louis M .....
who was brought back to the practice of his Faith through the powerful
intercession of the Apostleship of Prayer. After having returned to hi~
duties as a Catholic, he prayed that, if it were Gotl'R holy will, he m(qht
not recooor from his long sickne~s, lest he should again wander from thl'
right path. His prayer has been heard. He lingered for months, edil)"ing his family and friends by his patience, piety and happiness in suffering
for tile love of his blessed Saviour, and died at last a pure and holy death,
�77tc .-4post/cs!tip of
Pn~rcr.
127
full of angelie resignation to God's will. His death was so consoling
that. although tlw only surviving son of the mo~t devoted parents and
llll' hn>'hand of a most admirable wife, it is almost a cause of rejoicing to
them.-I have told you already of the remarkable conversion, through
the A1'o~tleship, of his aged father, who is now saint-like in his piety."
A clergvman writes from ~ew-York: "In my last letter I recommend·
ed to yotir prayers a Protestant gentleman; a person of intelligence
:nul wealth. I[(' was a Fre('·~Iason and unbaptized, and, at the time of
my writing, was on tlH' point of (leath This week he ('Xpressecl a wil·
lingncs~ to see a priest, was baptized this morning, and will receive Communion to-morrow.''
A letter from Philadelphia contains the following: "Heartfelt thanks
are r('tnrn~:d to th(' Sacred Heart for the ltappy death of the father of
l>unily wlws(' reformation has been prayed for since last ~larch. Rather
more than a momh ago he was prostrated on a bed of illness, and died
last week liJrtilkrl hv all the rites of the Church. The answer to the
prayer lor him has bC.cn marked and wonderlhl, as his case seemed altogether hopeil's:;. It shouhl im:pire every one in sorrow or difficulty with
t·encwed confitlenC'e."
From 'Yin~tcd, Conn., Ullll('' an account of the conversion of an aged
man who had lh·ed lin· more than forty years in entire neglect of his
religion~ tluties. He was recommended to the prayers of the Associates,
:mel a short time pre\·ious to his death, willingly saw a priest and received
all the Sacraments with sentiments of great fervor .
. Finally, a c,numunieation from ~Iilw:i-ukce, \\ris., narrates the reception
mto the Church of a gentlrman wlw~e son recommended him to the
mercy of the Sacred lleart some three years ago. He was a nominal
Protestant. but nltogether regardless of religion, and lor twenty-two
years had been n victim to intempernncc. But a slow and weakening
~ickness camP upon him; his thoughts were gradually directed to the
salvation of his soul, ami at length he asked for a priest, mnde a firm
profession of 1;1ith, and received the sacramen'.:; ·or the Church with a
fervor and piety most edifying to hehohl."
\Ve have here given a few facts selected almost at random
from among hundreds of a similar nature, which show the
efficacy of the Apostleship and which ought to stimulate
our zeal as well as excite our hopes. If the l\Iessenger of
the Sacred Heart, which contains in each of its numbers
not only a list of recommendations for prayers, but also a
catalogue of wonderful answers to the supplications of the
members of the Apostleship, were extensively circulated,
no doubt, the recital of these wonders would inspire thousands with new hope for themselves and they would be the
means of multiplying indefinitely the graces obtained from
the Sacred Heart and thus furthering good work of every
kind, converting heretics and sinners, and filling heaven
with the glad fruits of prayer.
�MISSIONARY LIFE.
I have often regretted that we do not know more about
the nature of the popular missions given by the Fathers of
the Old Society, in·town and country. Undoubtedly they
would be su.J;>stantially the same for the members of the
Society, in all times and places, namely, the Exercises of
our Holy Founder; but it would be highly instructive and
very interesting to be able to see how these have been varied in their application to the masses, comprising men of
every age and condition. One great difference would exist
in the missions as given in a Catholic country or in one
like ours, comprising every shade of belief, in the presence
or absence of a controversial element. It is even now a
disputed point with some whether we should, on such occasions, take account of the attendance of non-Catholics.
Other differences undoubtedly could be found in the ceremonies,· the displays of every nature addressed to the
feelings and senses, many of which li.ighly useful in other
times would be now out of taste, as out of date. It is
from such considerations that I have thought proper in
complying with your desire to write some papers on the
missions, to commence with a detailed description of a
mission as carried on by the members . of the Province of
Missouri. Your Journal may thus become indirectly the
means of procuring an interchange of views on this powerful
weapon for the conquest of souls.
We commence the missionary year in September and end
in June, allowing an interval of one week between the
several places, for repose and travel. Christmas and Eastertide are spent by us at home in the interchange of brotherly
�JlfissioJWY)'
L~fc.
129
offices, and in the assistance of the large parish to which
the missionary liouse is at present attached. There are six*
f.tthers at present engaged in the work who unite for a large
mission, and separate to cultivate simultaneously other and
smaller portions of the vineyard.
Towards the end of August the fathers who have been
employing the interval in giving retreats to religious houses,
in making their own spiritual exercises, or in necessary
relaxation, find themselves once more assembled at Chicago.
From the various applications made during the preceding
year, a list is prepared bf the separate and common missions
to be given by the two or three bands into which the whole
body may be divided, trunks are packed, farewells exchanged and the campaign opens.
Let us follow one of the bands to a small mission. The
two missionaries have commenced the journey by the recitation of the Litanies of the B. Virgin; they arrive at their
destination on Saturday. An examination of the locality,
and an enquiry into the nature of the population, their
spiritual wants and necessities, are the occupations of the
afternoon. Trunks are to be opened. confessionals to be
erected or ordered, for, singularly enough; this most important adjunct to the mission is the very thing most generally
overlooked: and finally the programme to be written or
printed, and then posted at the Church door. Generally it
is as follows. At 5 A. M. begins the first mass followed by
sermon which does not last longer than 6 o'clock, when
the second missionary celebrates the divine sacrifice. This
mass and sermon are for those whose avocations prevent
them from being present later in the day. I have known
the church full at that hour though the weather was inclement and many had to come from long distances. In no
* I do not include in this number Fr. Weninger who gives missions to
the Germans and Fr. Schulak who devotes himself to the Poles and Bohemians of whom there are great numbers in our Western States.
�•
mJsston as yet have we failed to persuade the people to
make this daily sacrifice of their morning rest. In one of
our last missinns, "·ith the thermometer at 20° below zero,
the tramping of their feet on the frozen sidewalks would
arouse us a half an hour before the time to which we had
set our alarm clocks. .-\t 8.30 .-\. :\I. the pa~tor celebrates
mass, and in~mediately aften\·ards the second sermon is
delivered, the attendance being about equal; sometimes a
little inferior to that of the 5 o'clock mass. In the afternoon the pas,tor and congregation make t0gether the way
of the cross... In the evening at 7-30, the pastor recites the
bead~ of the B. Virgin with the congregation. and then follows the principal sermon of the day succeeded by benediction of the B. Sacrament.
During this sermon: in accordance with an invitation extended for weeks together before the mission, and enforced
by an announcement at e\·ery one of the exercises, the assistant missionary receives in the school-room, the p:1rlor
of the pa·>toral residence, or some other suitable place, those
persons over sixteen years of age who have never made
their first communion. I regard this as one of the greatest
fruits of the mission, and decidedly the most difficult and
trying of all the exercises. The average of such cases is
perhaps greater than you would suppvse. In one mission
where there were 1 100 communicants, and where the pastor
was noted for his zealous care for his flock, knowing almost
every one by name, and where, too, there was little or no
floating population, we unearthed about 20 such cases. l
should think that the general average would prove to be
about 40 to every thousand communicants.
The topics treated in the morning lectures are the integrity and sincerity of confession, and instructions on the
proper way of making use of that sacrament, together with
catechetical and h"lmiliar explanations of the commandments.
In the evening discourses we intersperse doctrinal sermons
with the matter treated in the first week of the exercises. At
�JlissummJ' Life.
the high mass of the first Sunday we speak of the advantages and objects. of the mission and the spirit with which
the people should enter on it, trying to move the hearts of
the people by appeals to the memory of their deceased parents, their mm early childhood, their possibly near end. In
the afternoon at Yespers the same subject is continued with
a more direct treatment of the necessity of attending to
their salvation. In the evening we dwell upon the creation
of man, and the use of creatures. On Monday evening we
kctun.: on the doctrine and use of penance in the Catholic
Church, treating the subject catechetically and controver;-;ially. On Tuesday evening the subject is the nature
and enormity of mortal sin. On \Vednesday we treat of the
Sacrament of the Eucharist. On Thursday we speak on
personal sins making, as it were, a general. confession of a
sinful life. On Friday the sermon is on Judgment or on
Hell, or on both combined. Here also we introduce the
different kind of sin, especially those more enormous crimes
of the age which arc beginning to corrupt even the Catholic body and to which on less solemn occasions we scarcely
dare more than· allude. On Saturday we have no evening
sermon. On the Second Sunday we treat at high mass of
.devotion to the B. Virgin as taught and practised by the
Church ; in the afternoon on devotion to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, and in the evening upon the one, true, visible and
infallible Church of Christ. Monday evening sees the close
of the mission in a sermon on perseverance and the ordinary means for attaining that final grace, the avoidance of
occasion of sin, prayers, weekly mass, monthly or quarterly
confession. Then come the Papal Benediction, and Benediction of the B. Sacrament. Vve sometimes have little
children prepared, nicely dressed in white, one of whom
reads in the name of the congregation an act of consecration to the Mother of God. We celebrate a mass of requiem for deceased friends and relatives on Tuesday morning, at which we speak on dev?tion to the blessed souls in
�132
Jlissionary Life.
Purgatory, and in the evening give a public Lecture on
some of the current Catholic topics of the day, on some
doctrinal matter or point of controversy. Every day from
2 to 3 P. M. or after the evening sermons non-Catholics are
invited to come and propose their doubts. On Tuesday we
commence the confessions by the children who have made
their first communion and are under sixteen years of age.
On \Vednesday and the other days that we remain in the
place we are ready from 5 A. M. to 10.30 P. l\1. to hear
confessions. __ The only intermissions are for meals, a half
hour after l;lreakfast, an hour after dinner, and another hour,
including sU'pper, before the evening service. \Vhen the
situation of the confessionals allows it, we continue to receive penitents during the sermons, taking a recess, however, of a quarter of an hour after two hours work, according to rule. By hard and constant work we find that two
missionaries, in a week such as I have described, can,
unaided, prepare one thousand for communion. For any
number exceeding this they have to appeal to neighboring
clergymen. The pastor has always enough to do in superintending everything and in running after delinquent sheep.
The Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday arc spent in resting
or travelling to the next mission. Hard work you will say,
and yet I have known men who were· worn out in College
life regain their health and strength in this treadmill of the
missiOns. The only exhausting part of the labor is the
time spent in the confessional. Let not your readers waste
their pity on the missionary. He sees the good he does, he
receives praise and benediction from every mouth, he is 'the
holy commissioner', the 'saintly father'. Pray God that in
preaching to others he become not himself a castaway. In
the mean time the real martyr, but, at the same time the
privileged soul in spiritual things, is the poor professor in
the ·college, whom few know, and fewer still appreciate. In
the next paper, if you desire another, I shall try to give
some incidents of the mission life, some glimpses at its
hardships, trials and consolations.
�Brazil.
133
I will close with a summary of the \york of two of our
band, in the course of the last four months, from September
to December inclusively. I do not include however one
grand mission in which all six reunited to work together in
a large Eastern city.
Six missions were given. There were 7,o;o communions,
::!75 adult first communicants, about 26 or rather more marriages revalidated, and 97 non-Catholics received into the
Church besides many others who were not yet sufficiently
prepared and were left under instruction ; we travelled about
::!,6oo miles without a single accident, thanks be to God and
His Holy Angels.
G.
13RAZIL.-FR. CYBEO TO THE SCHOLASTICS
OF LAVAL (F~A?\CE).
LAGUNA, JULY
3 I. t8j2.'
Let me first gi\'e you a general idea of a Brazilian mission. The parishes here arc for the most part very large,
the parishioners being scattered over a considerable tract
of country, some living in the midst of the forests or upon
the hill-sides, others in the vast prairies. To reach the
church, the people are often obliged to travel 10, r 5 or even
20 leagues.
It happens that quite a number of persons die
without the Sacraments; but this will not surprise you
much, if you bear in mind that, for the lack of priests, ohe
is often charged with the care of two or three parishes ; he
visits them rarely and then only to say Mass and attend to.
. I
�134
Bm=if.
the Baptisms and 1\larriages. Poor abandoned flocks ! yet
they would be so docile to the \'Oice of a pastor !-For
many of these christians, the confession made during the
mission is· the first of their li\'es, and advantage must be
taken of the same occasion to prepare them for their first
communion, which often has to follow immediately. Remember too that it is often necessary to commence by
teaching them the sign of the r:ross and the principal mysteries, a work not done without great difficulty, especially
when we have to deal with the poor blacks whose intelligence is g~nerally so limited. Add to these duties the
Baptisms and l\Iarriages and you will have an idea of the
work devolving on two m1ssionaries.
Every mission lasts 15 days, 3 weeks or even a month ;
that time alas! is often too short and many of our Chris. tians, after waiting in v;1in several days, are obliged to return to their homes without going to confession or receiving
Nesso-Peii (Our Father), for by this name they designate
the Holy Eucharist. Is it surprising when a single parish
often· numbers 6ooo or Sooo souls and e\'en more? If
all were here at the commencement of the mission it
would not be so bad; but no! the poor and those living :Jt
a distance do not come before the last few days and then
we see them huddled together by thousands, in their wagons, under their tents or wholly exposed to the inclemency of the season. It may not be uninteresting to give
you some idea of the respect, not to say veneration, with
which these good people regard the missionaries. The
title usually given them is that of Padre Santo (Holy
F:ather); but there are variations, such as My Lord Bishop,
Your Charity, Your Paternity, Your Holiness, Your Majesty. These appellations appear strong enough, but you must
reserve a part of your admiration for the title bestowed on
my companion : at every hour of the day people come to
ask in all simplicity and devotion for "My Creator." From
this you can easily comprehend the demonstrations of which
�Hra:::il.
135
we are the objects. On our arrival there are re;otcings
and fireworks; each one wishes to salute the missionaries
and offer them his little present; often they go so far as to
kiss our feet. \Vhen the moment of departure comes they
accompany us as far as possible, taking leave of us only
with tears, which might at times be more properly called
cries of despair. Still it is unhappily too true that these
poor Christians after some days of grace and happiness will
fall back· into a sad and almost complete forgetfulness and
neglect.
But now let us say a few words about the distribution of
time on the mission. Rising at a very early hour we begin
by performing the duties of sacristan, sound theAngelus
and open the Church door ; a large crowd invariably
stands waiting, sometimes in the rain. \Ve begin at once
to hear confessions, charitably dividing the work, so that
one hears the men, the other, the women. Towards 6
o'clock we have the first Mass after which confessions continue till the mission Mass which is celebrated at 9 o'clock.
During the latter, we recite the Rosary of Our Lady of the
Seven Dolors-a devotion highly esteemed in Brazil.
After Mass comes the sermon, the subject of which for
seven consecutive days is one of the Seven Dolors of the
Blessed Virgin. The sermon is ordinarily followed by the
blessing of scapulars, medals and similar objects of devotion. Apropos of this I must give you a sample of native
simplicity. It is quite common to hear these good Christians assimilate the blessing of images and statues to a
baptism; they come often with charming na·ivete to say:
"my saint is still a pagan; won't you please baptise him?"
If by accident they break a statue so baptised they are in
consternation and with scrupulous care collect the fragments
to preserve them or bury them in the cemetery. But to
return to the exercises of the mission ; after mass we take
our frugal breakfast which it is necessary to despatch with
haste and often in the Sacristy. Until 1 or 2 o'clock in the
�Brazil.
afternoon we remain in the confessional, leaving it only
from time to time for the purpose of giving Holy C0mmun~
ion: After dinner, say about 3 o'clock, the children are
instructed for First Communion ; it is needless to remark
that a great number of them have long since reached the
required age. If you wish to win the favor of all your
pupils you must not fai~ to ·form them into a procession
headed by cross and bells; and the sound of their joyous
hymns as they pass through the streets awakens the silent
echos of the neighborhood. Catechism finished, we resume confessions which are continued till the evening
exercise. This begins with the Rosary, followed by hymns,
an instruction on the Sacrament of Penance, hymns again,
a meditation and finally Benediction of the most Blessed
Sacrament. The women then withdraw, but the men
remain for confession till midnight at which hour the missionaries retire to take a rest of 4 or 5 hours at most.
E\•ery day of the mission·is similar, and at its close without respite or repose they go to open another.
Since February we have given seven missions in succession, still under this hard regime the health is so far from
suffering that it seems daily to improve. ·This is an evident
proof of our Good Lord's protectiorr of the poor workmen
who labor for His glory, and is, be~i"des, a powerful encouragement to throw ourselves entirely on His paternal Providence.
So far I have only spok~n of the ordinary exercises of
the mission; a word now about our solemnities and first of
all that of the First Communion. This ceremony which is
so touching and makes such a salutary, not to say indelible
impression, is unhappily little known in Brazil; and it has
been our endeavor by every possible means to raise it in the
esteem of the people. By the help of God we have so £·u·
succeeded well enough, and more than once on seeing the
childreh with recollected mien enter the church, taper in
hand, the little girls wearing their white dresses and beauti-
�Brazil.
137
ful blue sashes on which is traced in golden letters the
monogram of :Mary, the happy missionary would almost
persuade himself that all was an illusion and that he was
in reality assisting at the imposing ceremonies of Europe.
The children ar ~ promptly on hand for the afternoon
procession; a sodality is at the head, after which come the
little ones with their banners and a considerable number of
oriflambs; there is vocal and instrumental music, nor are
the fireworks spared. After the procession the consecration to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph takes place. The
ceremonies conclude with a distribution of Fir~t Communion souvenirs which consist of beads, medals, statues and
pictures. The joyous transports of our dear little children
this moment are indescribable.
A second solemnity is called the penitential procession.
It generally takes place at night and all those engaged are
expected as far as possible to provide themselves with a
taper. The men come first, preceded by a statue representing our Lord falling under the weight of the cross, the
women next, having in advance a statue of our Lady of the
Seven Dolors. The procession stops not far from the
entrance of the Church, at the place designed for the erection of the mission cross. All the preparations have been
made beforehand, a raised pedestal awaits the cross which
lies at some distance. The Sermon begins and at the
words "Let the cross then be raised amongst us" it is elevated and fixed in the pedestal. Immediately the bells are
rung, the sky-rockets with a thousand detonations send
forth their luminous balls of flame into the darkness of the
night; the bystanders weep and send up to heaven their
shouts of joy, repeating without end "Glory to the cross."
At this moment a Father bearing the remonstrance accompanied by the Confraternity of the Most Blessed Sacrament
comes out of the Church and mounting the pedestal gives
benediction to the crowd who sing with transports "En vos
adoro a cada momento." Thus the ceremony is termi-
�Rra:::il.
nated, but before retiring to rest every one feels bound fo
come and kiss the cross.
\Ve have a commemoration of the dead which also
produces a good effect, at least if we can judge by the tears
that are shed.
\Ve try also to consecrate one day of the mission to the
Holy Guardian Angels, a Wednesday to St. Joseph, a
Friday, particularly the rst of the month, to the Sacred
.Heart, explaining and recommending these devotions which
are so well. calculated to preserve and insure the fruits of
the mission.
\Ve reach finally the last day; it is a solemn feast, devoted
to general Communion. All, even those who have communicated during the course of the exerci5es, are invited to
approach once again ''Our Father," and the Communion is
offered to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in atonement for the
outrages committed against Him especially in that parish.
The people are arranged in order in the Church, only
enough space being left for the Fathers who distribute Holy
Conlmunion to pass through the kneeling ranks. How beautiful and consoling it is to see so many persons, especially
men, approach the Holy Table, in a country where the
Sacrament of Love is almost entirely unknown ! This first
ceremony finishes with an act of reparation to the Sacred
Heart. At I I o'clock Solemn Mass takes place followed
by Papal benediction. A magnificent procession of religious
confraternities, at which all possible pomp and solemnity
are displayed, comes off in the afternoon. The Societies in
uniform with the banners of their patrons, next the children
dressed as on the day of their first Communion, precede the
Blessed Sacrament, which is carried along under a canopy
and followed by all the people. The procession returns
towards nightfall and is terminated with a solemn Te Deum
and Benediction.
There is yet ~nother very touching ceremony which is
usually postponed till the next day; it is called "Beija-mao
�Bra:::i!.
139
de Nossa Senhora" (the farewell to Our Lady). Upon an
altar, adorned with flowers and brilliantly lighted, is raised
the statue of our Lady of the Seven Dolors. A sermon
suitable to the occasion is followed by Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament; after which the celebrant advances
towards the statue, incen,;es it and finishes by kissing its
hand. The whole congregation follows in turn, respectfully
kissing the hand of the statue, happy thus to offer their
homage to Mary and give her a last pledge of their love and
fidelity. :\lay this Go.od Mother ever keep fresh in their
hearts the remembrance of this ceremony and aid her children to remain faithful to their engagements.
Such are the details I can give you nf our Brazilian missions. I have done little more than narrate briefly the labors and method ofF r. Schembri for twenty years a missionary, whose disciple and unworthy colleague I have the happiness to be.
But to give some particular details:JiissiOI~ (!f Laguna-Laguna is a rich commercial town
of 10,000 inhabitants served by a single cure without an
assistant. The mission, for some reason, had not been announced beforehand, so that our arrival was not marked
with the usual welcome. Many greeted us from the doors
and windows, but none came to meet us. At last a gentleman came up and announced himself as the cure, for in
Brazil it is unhappily the established custom for priests to
dress as laymen. The cure conducted us to his house,
offering, with great civility, to quit it so as to leave it entirely at our disposition. To this we absolutely refused to
agree, so he established himself on a sofa in his dining room,
wishing us by all means to make use of his own apartment.
As to the mission, he said we might open it at once and
continue it for nine days; but, as will appear, a mission of
nine weeks would not have been too much for Laguna.
Before starting to work we resolved to study the nature of
the soil. The very next day happened to be Holy Thurs-
•
�140
Bra:::i!.
day, a most happy opportunity for our observations; because
in Brazil, all who are practical Catholics approach the Holy
Table on this day. But., can you guess how many attended
the services at Laguna that day? Just seven-two men
and five women. Holy Thursday and Good Friday. a
sullen silence reigns in the town and not a person is at
Church. \Vhat is to be done? \Ve must be content, said
Fr. Schembri, to catechise the children and prepare them
for first Communion. But this is Good Friday; would it
not be well_ to place the mission under the protection of
our Lady _of the Seven Dolors? How would it do to try
"Ia desolata:" the exercise in vogue in Italy on Good Friday
nigh~? \Ve set to work at once, assisting by word and
example in the preparation of Mount Calvary, arranging a
cross, and statue of the Blessed Virgin thereon. . It is soon
noised about the city that the missionaries intend to inaugurate a new exercise. Music had not been forgotten so
that the four little sermons were to be interspersed by some
stanzas of the Stabat Jlfatcr. Night comes at last and all
is ready; but, strange to say, not a person presents himsel(
A half hour of painful suspense slowly drags along when
all at once people, both men and women, pour into the
Church, which is soon filled. Fr. S!=hembri ascended the
pulpit and preached four sermons ·With his own touching
and persuasive eloquence .. For an hour and a half he was'
listened to attentively-the city was won and our Lady had
the victory.
The mission succeeded marvellously, and instead of nine
days it lasted eighteen; the accustomed celebrations and
processions were attended with much devotion. Picture to
yourself a people famishing for the truths of religion and
the Sacraments! The church, a very spacious one, was too
small, especially for the evening exercises. All came to
confession, workmen, employers, merchants, sailors ; young
and olq sometimes remained fasting till 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, in order to receive Holy Communion. Our
�Bra:::il.
confessionals were of the most simple description imaginable : a grating raised on the railing in the very centre of
the church and no curtains. One might imagine that the
grand ladies of the upper class with their black silk dresses
would not approach ; but they all came, nevertheless, just
as the others. The catechism is explained every morning
to the boys and in the evening to the girls. At the same
time with these, the College of Marines proceed to the
church, making themselves remarkable by their piety and
admirable bearing. The first Communion was splendid
and touching, likewise the penitential procession. For the
latter solemnity the Marines carried the cross, which, by a
peculiar movement, they elevated in the air with incredible
swiftness. The day of the religious Societies' procession,
though a Monday, was observed as a holiday by the whole
city. It was marked by a magnific~nt general Communion
of men, interruption of business, closing of warehouses and
general abandonment of all the vessels at port. The image
of our Lady of the Seven Dolors had put off its mourning
to appear vested in all the splendor of an embroidered
Yelvet mantle, valued at about I 500 francs, exclusive of the
diamoJlds which adorned it. Mary had opened and specially
protected the mission; it was but just that she herself
should terminate it amidst the grateful honors due to Her.
finish with some news about Brazil ; our colleges of
Pernambuco, ltu and St. Leopold (German) are in a prosperous condition, especially that of Itu.
The Brazilian Bishops are much harassed and attacked,
more especially by the free-masons, who are recognized
here as a public institution: they make no attempt to conceal their temples and lodges, and their emblematic devices.
are exposed in open day. Still the Episcopacy is united
and defends itself with energy.-Laval Letters.
�CHINAMEN IN AMERICA.-FRO~I A LETTER
OF FATHER WENINGER.
The "Coolies" have not the faintest conception of what
is essentially called religion. They are absolutely ignorant
of God, the true Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. Instead of this, they acknowledge with a kind of
superstitious, diabolical worship, certain spirits or genii,
whom they suppose to preside over the elements of nature,
such as fire, water, earth and air- and over the several
departments of social -life, such as commerce, war &c ..
They believe these spirits to be of a malignant nature, and
try to propitiate them by a string of unmeaning prayers and
foolish sacrifices.
¥et the New-York papers had spoken, in boastful terms
of the grand and imposing religious ceremonial of these
same Chinamen, and of their gorgeous temples, whose walls
were reported to be incrusted with gold. There, it was said,
the rich and the poor were on an ~qual footing and might
worship unmolested, t~the reproach· and confusion of some
Christian churches, in which an invidious distinction is too
often made.
My curiosity to see these magnificent Pagodas ran high.
"To make assurance doubly sure," I asked our friend, the
Catechist, to lead me to the very finest in San Francisco;
and he agreed to do so. But oh ! what a disappointment!
We entered a narrow, murky street; and there, fronting on
that street, stood the grandest Chinese temple- a small
shabby-looking three story brick building, with but one
room· to each story, and painted on the outside only by the
soot ~nd smoke. After crossing the threshold of the lowest
l
�(./u'namm in America.
143
floor, we found ourselves in a shrine sacred to the memory
of departed relatives. It was a dismal, dingy cell, so dark
that the eye could not discern anything lying on the floor.
The air was charged with the stench of burning little oil
lamps, and of lavender sticks which they fancy to be par·
ticularly wholesome and grateful to the departed. Not
being able to see in the dark, and not attempting it either,
because I had not apprehended the need of it, I suddenly
found myself, to my great surprise and to the still greater
surprise of my victim, stepping on something rather softer
than the common floor. It was a poor Chinese worshipper
who had fallen asleep through devotion.
\Ve now proceeded to the next story. If the first
apartment was suitable for a sleepy worshipper, the second
was no less so for a /mug1:y one. A number of Chinamen
were seated on the flo-or and addressed themselves with great
gusto to their favorite rice. It was forsooth with the inten·
tion of honoring some spirit, that they swallowed it with so
much greed!
We ascended at last to the third story, which was the
temple properly so called. Here then I expected to see
those walls, covered -as the New York papers would have
it- with heavily gilt arabesques. \Vhat a delusion! They
were only plastered over with common gold-paper. The
altar, too, showed no very great signs of architectural skill;
to be plain, it was simply a sort of decorated tent not unlike
a wood-shed, with a table in it. On the table stood three
horribly-painted idols with red £.'lees and immensely long
blac~ beards. They looked for all the world like three
drunken sailors. Before them were a number of little oil
lamps, which- as I learned to my great mortificationare kept burning before the devil, whilst in but too many
churches it is found impossible to keep alive the flame of
a single lamp before the Holy of Holies.
Close to these lamps were urns with different kinds of
sortilegcs or divining lots, used for the purpose of finding
�C!tiuamot iu Amcrzi:a.
out the future through the ~1edium of the spirits. The
Chinese also offer various sacrifices for the same end, and
for the purpose of reconciling the offended spirits or of obtaining their special favors. One of these sacrifices is. at
the very best, a little singular. They write the sum of
money which they intend to offer to the spirit, upon a piece
of gold-paper, which they burn before the idol, in the belief
that, as the curling smoke ascends on high, the spirit will
become possessed of the promised amount. l\'Iethought
our Procurators would not be overmuch pleased, if a person offering them assistance for Colleges and Churches,
should content himself with jotting down enormous figures
upon paper and then burn the note as incense in their
presence.
The "Coolies" also make offerings of roasted pigs, but they
return after a while to see whether the idol has eaten them
or not. If any body has seen fit to appropriate them during
their absence-and this is no difficult matter, because often
the Pagoda is not visited the whole day long-they never
claim them again. But if the offering remains untouched,
they take it home and feast on it with their families.
They do not divide the month into weeks as other nations
do. Instead of Sunday, they observe the first and fifteen tit
of the lunar month; and unless they have some special
reasons, they visit the temple only on these two days.
Even then they do not stay in the Pagoda to pray, but turn
it into a place of religious rendez-vous. '
In their social intercourse with the whites, the Chinese
act like civilized people. Their gait is more steady and
polished than that of the lower classes among other nations.
They scarcely move their arms while walking, and dress
very neatly. But at home they live buried in filth, and
besides being given to other disgusting practices, they feed
upon rats. By the bye, some of those who have been in
the country for a while, are beginning to adopt the American costume. They ~lso tie up their sacred "pig-tail" or
�C!tinamcn in America.
145
cue of braided hair, because John Chinaman soon learned
to his cost that when allowed to float it was not secure
against profanation. It too often happened that knavish
boys and grown-up roughs clipped it as he walked unsus~
pectingly through the streets. The appearance of all is so
very similar, that they seem to have been cast in the same
mould. The features of different individuals are even less
distinctive than among the blacks; and, what is worse than
all, very few have beards and look so much like females,
that they cannot be distinguished from them except by the
size; for the women are of exceedingly diminutive stature,
and owing to the absurd practice-not without its counterpart among civilized nations-of keeping their feet, from
childhood up, in iron shoes in order to prevent them from
growing, they walk with great difficulty; in fact, they can
do little more than hobble along.
It is very remarkable, how cordially the Indians of the
Pacific Coast ha1 e the Chinese. The red man looks to the
"pale-faces" from Europe as to his masters and the favored
children of "the great spirit." The Chinese, on the contrary,
he regards as his rivals, or rather as leeches clinging to the
American soil and sucking the fat of the country in order
to carry it off with them to Asia. Hence the "Coolies" are
greatly afraid to meet an Indian in a solitary place-and
not without reason ; for the Indian would not be likely to
show them much mercy, but would dispatch them without
ceremony to the "spirit-land".
·when the Chinese have made as much money as they
wish, they usually return to their own country, carrying
with them the remains of their deceased kinsmen. The
ships crossing the Pacific from San Francisco to China are.
often laden with human skeletons. This devotion to their
dead is a sign that they have at least a faint idea of a future
life, and that a vestige of the primitive revelation concerning the resurrection is still preserved among them. Poor
people! It is a pity, that so little is done to gain them over
�I46
Jlfissions in Pmnsy!z,mua and Delaware.
to our holy £<ith. Missionaries are sent to China, at enor~
mous expenses at the risk of precious lives ; and yet but
very feeble efforts-if indeed they can be called efforts at
all-are made to enlighten them whilst they are in our
midst and surrounded by professed christians. One single
room, which serves both for saying Mass and for instructing some children, is all that can be spared for them on the
whole Pacific Coast of America. And meanwhile the
fumes of ·the oil-lamps and smoke of lavender go on
ascending in adoration of hideous idols, and prayer temples
make mock.. of the Christian churches hard by.· Yet, who
will say what incalculable good might be done to this
heathen population, which we are encouraging to come to
our shores.
·-·
.
----------~
MISSIONS IN NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA,
AND IN WILMINGTON, DEL.
FREDERICK, NovE~IBER
7th, 1872.
REV. AND DEAR FR. PROVINCIAL :
The four missions in Susquehanna Co., Pa. gave the
highest satisfaction to the people, the resident priests and
myself. In the first two, many persons made their appearance, who were not known to be Catholics even to their
. nearest neighbours. Scores of them, though from 20 to
40 years of age, made their first confession.
In the first mission, the priest was completely deceived
in his calculation. "If all come," he said to me, "you will
have from 700 to 8oo." At the close of the mission about
1100 had received Holy Communion. Here we had also 74
I
�JHssions in Pmnsyh,ania a1td Delaware.
147
children for first Communion ; not however during the
mission, but 12 days later after the close of the second
exercises; as nearly one half of them had to learn a part
of the catechism. On the day fixed, all were at hand. I
myself examined every one of them and their concise
answers were the best proof that parents had taken the
matter in hand and showed great interest. It was a glorious day for Friendsville, the solemn administration of
first Communion never having been witnessed in this Church;
for Catholics are scattered over a radius of 12 miles. and
children are not easily brought together. Here also about
500 persons were invested with the scapular of Mount
Carmel. These country miss1ons are, in my judgment,
preferable to those in cities, chiefly if the weather is favorable. Nearly all are present about 8 o'clock in the morning and they are under the missionary's eyes till 6, P. M.,
whilst in cities the attendance during the day amounts to a
few pious females. The impression made is also generally
deeper and the fruit of the mission more lasting. At the
close of our second little mission the people were exhorted
to secure the services of a resident priest, by contributing
towards the erection of a house for his dwelling, and in
less than an hour over $2000 were obtained. Here many
persons walked a distance of 16 miles to attend the exercises, and we made a clean sweep of the district.
The third and fourth missions were equally successful.
\Ve heard about 28oo confessions, of which number at
least 1500 were of persons who had been absent from the
Sacrament of Penance for long periods.
From Susquehanna Co. we started for vVilmington, Del.
Strange to say, three missions opened here on the same
day. The Paulists commenced at the Cathedral, the Redemptorists at St. Mary's, the church of the V. General,
and we at St. James'. On my arrival, I paid my respects
to Bp. Becker, who receiveq me with extraordinary kind-
�148
111issioJZs ill Pcmzsyhmnia alld Delaware.
ness; and on the day of our departure, his kindness was,
if possible, even on the increase. The mission itself was as
much of a success as those in Northern Pennsylvania, perhaps even more so. Here we had all with three or four
exceptions. Though the whole congregation does not
amount to 500 members, all of the poorer class who work
in the factories, still every morning at 5 o'clock we had over
200 at first Mass and instruction, and about roo more at 8
o'clock; but in the evening at 7, every body was present and
the Church was crowded during the entire week. On Sunday afternoop the congregation was consecrated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. F. Denny preached on the love of
God, and the whole congregation was in tears. \Vhether
the three missions at one time were by chance or were
premeditated, I know not, but the arrangement was the
work of Providence. If ours had been the only one. we
would not have effected the good which resulted from our
labors. The confessionals would have been crowded all
day long with devout females, and no chance would have
offered itself to the men. · As it was, we devoted all o.ur
time to those for whom the mission was intended. From
the number of confessions heard, it was evident that we
had some from other parishes, as the}:·amounted to nearly
6oo.
..
I shall give more particulars when your Reverence will
be with us next week.
Your devoted servant in Christ.
J. B. Emig, S. J.
I
�NEW CATHOLIC STATIONS IN KANSAS.
FROM TWO LETTERS OF FR. PON ZIGLIONE ..
OsAGE
l\Ixsswx, NEosHo Co.,
KANSAS,
}ULY 1St, 1872.
On the last day of the past year, I started on a sick call to
. Independence, in Montgomery County. It was bitter cold.
The prairie was covered with snow, and a strong Northeaster \\·as blowing its best. I had never been to the place ;
and to the inconvenience of the having to travel a rough
and unknown road for more than fifty mile:;, was added
that of a darkness almost extreme. However, by divine
mercy, and despite the darkness and the long. rough way,
I reached u"1y journey's end without any very great trouble,
and at 8 o'clock, P. l\1. found myself at Independence.
The one who had sent for me was a poor young man
who, while working in a coal mine, was buried alive by the
caving in of the embankment. Fortunately for him, a large
rock in falling lodged just above him, thus saving him from
being crushed to death : and assistance coming in time, he
was found alive, though so bruised that from his waist to
his feet his bcidy was beyond all feeling of pain. Imagine
how happy the ·poor sufferer was at seeing me with the consolations of religion which I brought! Next morning I said
Mass in his room, gave him the Holy Viaticum, and administered Extreme Unction. These last sacraments filled his
heart with consolation. "Oh !" he exclaimed, "truly the
Mother of God has obtained this grace for me!" This
poor fellow had been well educated in his young days, and
though for a time he went astray, as foolish boys will do, yet
the good principles which he had imbibed in his youth were
�1 50
.New Cat!w!ii: Statious in Kausas.
not without their influence, and, corresponding to God's
grace, he sincerely repented. He has since passed away,
and we hope, to a better life.
Having called upon the Catholics of Elk City and New
Boston, I paid my first visit to Cedar Vale, a little town in
the southwest corner of Howard Co. Some few Catholic
families have settled here, but as most of them were absent
when I called, I hastened on to another ne\v Catholic
settlement, only ten miles distant and situate in the southeast corner_ of the adjoining county of Cowley. As this little
settlement owes its origin to a lot of lively Limerick lads,
no one will wonder that it rejoices in the name of Garryowen.
I met with much welcome and determined to give these
good people an opportunity of complying with their Christian duties. On hearing this, word was immediately sent
inviting all in the neighborhood to attend l\Iass on the
following day-the Feast of the Epiphany. The eve of
this Feast was a stormy one 'indeed. A high wind had set
in upon us, which grew keener every moment,· until night
came on and brought with it a heavy fall of snow. There
\vas no question of remaining out of doors, and yet the
question was how to get in doors. \Ve had to huddle
together in an underground excavation used as a cellar,
which had, it is true, the framework··of a house above it,
but unfortunately the so-called room had no ceiling, and
the windows had not even sashes, much less panes. It was
perfectly fearful. The wind and snow poured in upon us
most generously, and in fact, we might just as well have been
out in the open air, for we had no fireplace, and the whole
of our comfort consisted in a little cooking stove I 8 inches
by 6, and a few pieces of bark to burn. There was no
thought of passing the night with the neighbors, for the
house which we were in was considered the best in the whole
settlement; and w~ could not go to the woods, for we were
on a nigh prairie and four miles from timber land. God
only knows how much we suffered! But He mercifully
4
�New Catlzo!ic Stations in Kansas.
I
5I
spared us; for, humanly speaking, all chances were against
us, and we seemed to be doomed to freeze to death. Of
course the night seemed ever so long; and though the
morning- came at last, it did not drive the storm away.
The few who attended l\lass did so at the risk of their life,
but the fire of holy love which glowed in their hearts
burned all the brighter, and more than counteracted the
killing ·cold from without. I was surprised at the fervor
with which they approached Holy Communion. Though
the altar was erected clo~e by the side of our little stove
which was kept aglow during the time of Mass; yet I had
to warm the Chalice several times in order that I might be
able to consume the sacred species. It was only towards
night that the storm subsided. \Ve went through this
second night, thank God, without much suffering.
The following day was Sunday. Afler Mass I started
for \Vinfield, a little town just building on a beautiful prairi<~ which lies along the left bank of the \Valnut River,
twelve miles above its confluence with the Arkansas. It is
surrounded by fertile farming lands, and is at present the
County Seat of Cowley. The Catholics here are few in
number, but the·y seem to be of very good will, and almost
all approached Holy Communion with much devotion.
From the 9th of this month, the day on which I first celebrated Mass here, will date th~ foundation of a missionary
Stat.ion at this place.
As soon as Mass was over I left \Vinficld for Douglas,
which lies on the same bank of the \Valnut, some fifteen
miles northward. Long before sun-down I arrived at the
house of a Catholic family about four miles south-east
of the last named town, and having baptized the mother's darling in presence of quite a number of Protestants,
who were anxious to see the novel spectacle, I retired to
rest only to be awakened at midnight, myself to see a
spectacle far more novel to me.
�152
1Vcw Cat!to!ic Statio11s iu Kallsas.
About I I o'clock the sound of rolling wheels was heard,
and in a few moments up drove three wagons filled with
young men and women shouting and yelling and cursing
at the top of their voices. Immediately we arose, and
immediately, too, they swarmed into the house. \Vhat a
sight! Doubtless you wonder who they are. \Vel!, they
are a set of ruffians who call themselves a dancing club,
and they are gathering together parties for a big dance
which is going on at a house some distance off. \Vithout
the least ceremony the leader of the motley band gives his
orders, and" as a refusal to comply with them would most
likely lead to a difficulty, all hasten to do his bidding. I,
being a stranger, am fortunately excused, and in a quarter
of an hour I am alone with a· little boy, keeping house for
them while they dance. Just think of it! Though this
bacchanalian club was some distance away, yet in the stillness of the night I could hear their stamping and yelling
and furious hooting. In their excitement they were singing: " Let us eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow we
die!"~
\Vhile I was at this house I learned with sorrow that,
since my last visit, a young man, l\Iichae! N., had been
cruelly killed by a mob, or self-style~_.Vigilance Committee.
:\iichael and nine others were taken ·and without a trial
hanged to a tree on mere suspicion. The poor fellow
protested, assuring them that he was innocent, but it \vas
of no avail. Finally, seeing, that all hope was gone he
begged them to let him send me word in order that I might
come to assist him in his last hour, but meeting with only
laughter and mockery, he threw himself on his· knees at
the foot of the tree from which he was to be hanged, and
in a loud voice recited all his prayers. \Vhen he had finished he stood up, and calling on a lady that was present
(the same one in whose house I passed the night) he
besought her to let his mother and myself know that he
was innocent, that he was killed without having given any
�Ni·w Cat!to/ic Stations in Kansas.
15 3
offence whatsoever. Then turning to the executioner he
said: "I am ready, do with me what you please." In a few
moments he was a corpse. Cases of this kind are of frequent occurrence in these remote parts where municipalities are only forming, where nothing, as yet, is well organized, and where the people, on the whole, pay very little
regard to law and authority.
From Douglas I started for Augusta, a little town situated at the meeting of the \Vhite \Vaters and the \Valnut.
The country around is rich and well settled, and the U. S.
Land Office which is established there draws to it the
commerce of several of the adjoining counties. I passed
the night on Turkey Creek, where I celebrated Mass the
next morning, and then left for Eldorado, the county seat
of Butler. On the following day, the 12th of Jan., I offered
the Holy Sacrifice for the first time in this town, after which
I started on. my way homeward, taking a course due east
through the counties of Greenwood, \Voodson, Allen, and
Neosho. I arrived at the Mission on the 18th.
In the beginning of Feb., I again set out on my \Vestern
tour, and began by calling to Mass the Catholics of St.
Francis Regis in Wilson Co. It was a beautiful Sunday
morning, in <:onsequence of which we had quite a large
attendance; but I could not remain long with them, for I
had to visit Fredonia to baptize some little children, and to
give the adults an opportunity of complying with their
duties; and besides, the new Catholic settlements of Neodisha and Thyre, as well ·as those of Chitopa and Dry
Creek, stood in need of my services for the same purpose.
I visited them all. During the night which I spent in Fredonia, the little town was almost destroyed by fire. The
business part of it was entirely consumed, but fortunately
the house in which we 'were to have Mass was not in the
business part, so despite the fire, the Holy Sacrifice was
celebrated at the appointed time. On the 12th of Feb. I
returned to the Mission.
�I
54
N£<u Catholic Stations iu Kansas.
From February till April we were busy enough at home.
The spring season was very sickly here, consequently we
were kept going on sick calls nearly all the time ; and as
our good people are scattered far and wide around us it is
no small matter to attend them. You may judge of the
truth of this from the fact that I had, this Spring, a call to
a bed-side one l~undred and thirty miles away on the Canadian River. I was fortunate in finding the patient alive, for
generally in calls of this kind we come too late. How
can it be heJped!
Our RighfRev. Bishop Coadjutor having again entrusted
Marion and Sedgwick Counties to our care, I left the Mission on the 9th of April to visit them, and following the
Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad I arrived at
Newton, one hundred and eighty five miles west of Atchison. Newton may be called the "City of the Desert." It
is situated on an extensive sandy prairie six miles from any
woodland whatever, and anything like fuel must come from
a distance of more than one hundred miles. \Vater is not
always to be had, for· in some seasons the whole country is
perfectly dry, and the only way to obviate the inconvenience
is by digging cisterns of immense capacity. However,
despite all this, the town is daily inc~~asing, and business
is very brisk; for a line of railway from this place to Ouichita, at the confluence of the Little and Great Arkansas
brings in a great deal of trade. Many Catholics are settling in this neighborhood, and I hope, ere long, to establish
here a good missionary Station:•
After visiting a German Settlement in Montgomery Co.,
where I celebrated Mass and baptized some children, I went
down to Parker, in the same County. The citizens of this
place have built a nice frame church, 30 by 50, with money
collected almost exclusively from Protestants, almost all of
whom are very favorable to Catholics. This good disposition on their part is quite common, for experience has
taught them that wherever Catholics settle and build a
�1V<w Cat/wlic Statio1ts in Kansas.
ISS
church, no matter how poor a shanty it may be, business
will flourish. On the Sth, of May I dedicated this little
church to the most Holy Name of Jesus, and on the following day returned home in order to give Father Colleton a
chance to visit his missions on the railroad.
DEc. 31st, 1872.
I passed the warmest day"s of last summer, \Vest of the
g6th meridian, about ISO miles distant from this mission.
That country is no longer a desert; for except in some
localities, you everywhere meet with the industrious and
patient settler trying to make himself a home.
I visited different station,; on the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe R. Road, seeing to the building of two small
churches-one in Marion Centre, Marion Co., the other in
Ouichita, Sedgwick Co. I also established two missionary Station:>-::me in Sedgwick City, the other in Hutchinson, Reno Co.
The settlers everywhere received me
kindly, and I found them all eager to attend to their
Christian duties. Generally speaking, these people are
pious and well disposed. Many are very poor, and most
of them live in shanties or barracks, while some, unable to
find either planks or logs, dig for themselves habitations in
the ground, and cover them over with sods.
A child of an Arapahoe half-breed woman was dying this summer in Ouichita. The mother, a
most devout Catholic, was perfectly resigned to make a
sacrifice of her little b9y, yet she was very much distressed because he had for many hours been in a state of
unconsciousness, and seemed to be doomed to die without
giving her the look of love and the smile of tenderness
for which her maternal heart longed. Full of faith, however, she prayed for awhile, then, taking some holy water,
she sprinkled it upon the child's face, whereupon the little
fellow opened his eyes, and recognizing his mother, caressed her for the last time. This little circumstance was
�Nc<i/ Catlto!ic Stations in Kansas.
noticed by some Protestants who were present and it made
them acknowledge that the prayers of Catholics avail much.
Such facts as this are consoling, and give courage to the
l\Iissionary. But this is only one side of the picture, and
as every picture has its shades, so ours have theirs, and
very dark ones too. Though some of our Catholics are
very fervent, still, others are deplorably negligent; and. the
spirit of indifferentism, so widely spread over this country,
is heart-rending. Unfortunately, morality is frequently a
desideratum in, many of our new towns, and no wonder, for
the full meas~re of iniquity seems to pour in upon us from
the oldest and most substantial cities of this great continent.
To gi,·e you an idea of this, I shall simply state what I was
told while in Newton last summer, that of the thirty-six
persons buried in that place, only one had died a natural
death. Such is the field which we are working.
On the 8th of Sept., I said Mass for the first
time in the beautiful little town of Augusta, in Butler Co.
As it was a novelty for them, there was a good attendance
both of Catholics and Protestants. I placed this station
under the patronage of the Immaculate Virgin '''hose
Nativity we that day celebrated, and then started for
Howard City, passing through Douglas, \Vinfield and New
Boston. I stopped for a short time ar-"the source of Silver
Creek in order to give some Catholic families an opportunity of approaching the sacraments. After promising the
Catholics of Howard City, some of whom were strangers
to me, that I would return as soon as practicable, I started
. on the 17th of Sept. for home.
I soon left again for the far \Vest. On this
occasion I visited the Counties of Montgomery, Howard,
Cowley, Sedgwick, Butler, and Greenwood, and as the
people had been notified beforehand, I found them all ready
to come to their duties.
�A VISIT TO THE KOOTENAIS. EXTRACTS FROM
A LETTER OF FR. U. GRASSI TO FR. VALENTE.
Co., \VAsH. TER.
DEc. 14th, 1872.
Towards the end of October
a clerk of the Hudson Bay Company told me he was going
to the Middle Kootenais. I offered to keep him company;
he gladly accepted, and we started without further ado.
On arriving at Michel's Camp I found but a few lodges,
for I had visited them in August, and they were not expecting from me a second visit that year. I remained with
them three days, then the clerk was ready to return. The
morning of the fourth day I gathered them for prayer and
told them how much I yearned to see the other farther
tribe, that had I found amongst: them, last August, more
readiness in furnishing me with what help I needed, I would
have gone over to them ; but as it was I had to put it off, ,
and mean time who would ans\ver for those of them that
would die without baptism. I said that I was ready to play
the part of the good Samaritan with them, but I could not.
I spoke at some length in this strain; they listened to me
with astonishment and confusion; there was a dead silence
the whole time. Having said the conclusion prayer, I was
going to leave the lodge, when one took me by the hem of
my cassock saying in a low voice: ''please wait a while."
I sat down and he began : "We never thought we had
been in your way hindering you from going to visit the
other tribe and now we are ready to make up for it if we
did hinder you last August." "But now," I answered, "it is
too late in the season." Half a foot of snow had fallen the
AlTANAM, }AKIMA
�A visit to t!te Kootmms.
previous night for the first time. "Don't fear this snow,''
interposed a second, "it will go away again." "I will give
you a horse," said a third, "and as to provisions, there will
be no difficulty." I saw that they were in earnest, and
their earnestness almost troubled me, for I did not kriow
how far I would have to go, how long it would take me, and
consequently I was calculating my chances of getting back
before winter.;_chances, which appeared to me rather slim.
I made a last objection, "Butnow" I said, "they do not
know I am cbming to them, consequently I will not find
them, for they are scattered for their winter hunt." ·'If you
hurry up," answered the first speaker, "you may find them
gathered together, for they wait for the Hudson Bay Company train which passes by them previous to their scattering
for the winter hunt." I thought to myself: there is no
evading the trip: so I mustered up courage and told them
that I was ready for the journey. I left the lodge to tell
the clerk of the Bay Company that I would have to go further. ~ He remonstrated against it as an imprudence, but my
mir..d was made up, and I returned to my Indians. I found
not one but two A::arias ready for a long march : a goodly
package of provisions was behind the saddle of each horse
for my Indian guides :·and my own s~ddle ;.vas already girded on a splendid roadster. I mounted· with an ardent heart
h.nd started.
On the third day I met the Hudson Bay train; and the
apprehension of not finding the Indians (for we had still to
travel a day and a h.alf), somewhat troubled me. \Ve
hastened on, and arrived. Froin the summit of the hill we
saw the place where the Indians had been, but they were
no more. One 'Single family remained, and they were about
to start ; the children already on horseback, and man and
wife finishing what little more packing up there was to be
done. . Oh, how glad I was to have arrived just in time!
My Indians hallooed, and one ran ahead to stop them.
When I arrived they had already unpacked and put up a
\
�A Visit to t!tc Kootmais.
159
lodge, where I entered. Directly the man went in search
of his hunting companions. \Ve had reached the place in
the afternoon, and by evening some twelve lodges had come
back; in the night they kept arriving, and I awoke in the
morning to see the whole camp gathered together, with the
exception of one lodge that had started first, and which
now could not be found. Dear Father, what a joy I felt
that morning on seeing the overflow of joy depicted on the
f.<ces of those poor Indians !
The children up to the age of 20 years had never seen a
Black-gown. Rev. Fr. De Smet had gone that way more
than 20 years previous to my visit, but they told me that
since that time no Black-gown l~ad ever visited their settlement. I fancied I should have to show them how to make
the sign of the cross when lwould see them first; but I
was mistaken. \Vhen I said the prayers they followed me
in such a manner that I could well understand that their
tongue was by no means inexperienced in. those words.
They knew besides the principal points of our holy faith, so
that after three days I had the happiness of baptizing about
26o adults, and blessing 40 marriages. But my stay was to
be short, and though they earnestly entreated me to remain
a little longer, I could not. After pointing out a place
where they should build a chapel, and promising that if
God spared me I would visit them next year, I started.
I kept my word, and next year I went to visit them.
They had built the chapel-a nice log chapel-where we
could more conveniently go through our religious exercises.
On my return all Michel's camp had rallied, and they were
anxiously waiting for me in order that they might approach
the sacraments. I heard confessions in the chapel. After
all had come, I saw a man approaching with slow and
feeble steps. He had four or five days before fired on a
bear and only wounded him. Being unable to escape, he
abandoned himself a despondent prey to the brute. His face
was all disfigured-his nose and cheeks completely eaten
�I6o
A Visit to tltc Kootmais.
away and his scalp so torn from his skull as to leave great
gashes. His body, too, had been stripped of much of its
flesh, and he was left all bloody and mangled. \Vhen other
Indians came up to him, they thought he was dead ; but on
seeing their mistake, they carried him to his lodge and
bandaged him all over: four or five days after, having heard
of my return, he had himself dragged to the camp, and
after a short rest came in for confession.
On the same occasion, I witnessed another instance of
the astonishing toug!tness of Indian flesh. It was of a
young man ·who on the Buffalo hunt had been surprised by
the Black-feet, scalped and left for dead. After some time
he got up and managed to go towards his people, who wer~
camped not f<~.r away: within a few days he got entirely
well. Instead of a scalp, he put on his head a piece of
white cotton cloth, and so he goes fishing and hunting as
well as ever. But it is not the toughness of the flesh, which
they have in common with all other Indians, that astonished
me in these. What struck me most i<> their virtuous feature.
Ofteil I had not in adults matter for absolution. And if
their morality endears them to God and his missionaries,
the whites too have good reason to praise them highly, for
their honesty has become prover\;iial. \Vhen I arrived
amongst them the first time, I f~und an Indian in the
Hudson Bay store, in the absence of the clerk, and on my
showing surprise at it afterwards, the clerk answered me
that they are perfectly trusty. Americans told me that
they left here and there handkerchiefs, pieces of tobacco, a
pocket-knife, or such other trifle to have an experimental
knowlege of their honesty, and never had anything been
missed. Once three youths found a purse of gold dust at
a place where Americans had camped the previous night,
and brought it to Michel, the Chief, who immediately sent
them after the Americans. On overtaking them, after
proper questioning they instantly handed the purse to its
owner, and on the Americans wishing to compensate them,
�Clzina-Nmzkin J1fission.
161
they declined to accept anything, for Michel had enjoined
them to receive no reward.
Many whites may find in them, you see, instances of
virtue worthy of imitation.
After a week's residence among them, I started, promising
that either myself or another missionary would henceforward
visit them yearly.
Yours truly,
U. Grassi, S. J.
--~-~--------
CHINA-NANKIN MISSION.
FR. PFISTER TO FR. VALENTE.
CHANG-HAl, JUNE AND SEPT., 1872.
I have completed a catalogue of all of "Our's" wh9 have
come to China from the time of St. Francis Xavier until
the Suppression, giving, besides the name, a short notice of
each one, or a list of works which he has written. I am
also working on a set of geographical charts of the Province
of Kiang- Nan; there will be twenty-six of them, one for
each prefecture.
At present we are left undisturbed here in China. This
does not exempt us from local difficulties and vexations,
which, hqwever, do not retard our work, so that, thanks be
to God, we are making progress. Our works are beginning
to assume an appearance of solidity. The Carmelite
Convent is established on a firm footing. The first Chinese
postulants have been received into the novitiate-all, however, for the white veil, as the nuns deem it proper to make
some delay before receiving postulants for the choir. The
"Religieuses Auxiliatrices" are succeeding admirably in
..
r
�Cltina-Naukin llfission.
forming young females, called here "good virgins," for
teaching schools, administering baptism, and giving instructions to females, etc. The progress on all sides is evident, our
schools are becoming more deyeloped-our old Christians
are better instructed and hence practise their religious duties
more exactly.
The liberty that we enjoy has encouraged us to build a
number of new churches, and to restore several that were
built by Fathers of the old Society. On the summit of a
little hill, some seven or eight leagues from this place, we
have finisl1~d a spacious and beautiful church which is
dedicated to "Our Lady of Good Help," in order to thank
our dear l\Io~her for her unceasing protection over us. It
is already quite a pilgrimage, and the numerous miraculous
cures and other favors obtained seem to indicate that our
Lady is pleased with the homage paid to her in this new
shrine. \Ve have good hopes that it will become much
frequented, and bring down from heaven abundant benedictions on this arid and thorny waste of paganism.
\Ve have 6pened a school for the daughters of Europeans
residing in Chang-Hai; and Father De Prevoisin never
allows a month to pass by without leading back, at least
one of the Protestant pupils to the. good old faith of ber
ancestors.
··
So much for Chang-Hai and its environs. I say nothing
of the Scholasticate except that it has been removed to
Zi-ka-wei on account of a severe sickness which had broken
out among the scholastics at Tong-ka-tou.
At some distance from us Fathers Pouplard and Royer
are laboring in the midst of consolations. The former has
baptized during the present year no fewer than 6oo adults
and 2000 children-all pagans. Yet there are many difficulties with which they have to struggle. They are in a
district where catechumens are numerous, but where, at
the same time quarrels are very frequent. There is a petty
war continually going on, now for one reason, and now for
�Cltina-1Vankin
~lfission.
another. Father Pouplard has a special gift for treating
such cases, and obtaining justice for the wronged party;
his stately carriage, his large expressive eyes, his long beard,
his ready and ardent speech contribute not a little, after the
grace of God, to his success. Father Royer is the very
man for the catechumens; he is everywhere establishing
new institutions, and yet he is continually bewailing his
poverty. If you have five thousand dollars to give him he
can find immediate use for them in fifteen or twenty new
centres which are in want of everything.
In Nankin, Fr. Couvreur is engaged in opening a preparatory seminary (inchoatum). Father Colombe! is charged
with the meteorologic and magnetic observations, at which
he has relieved me. Father Heude continues attached to
the famous and flourishing Academy of the natural sciences
in Kiang-nan. Father Ravary, abandoning himself to his
zeal, travels backward and forward through the whole of
Ning-koue-fou, where a remarkable movement towards the
Catholic religion has been going on during the last eight
months. Father Ravary conjectures that there are between
5o.ooo and So.ooo persons engaged in this movement. vVe
have received deputations composed respectively of 10, 20,
50 and 70 heads of families, who came to invite our Fathers
to reside among them, and one of these deputations, which
assembled at Sia-Hen (the centre of one section), on the
last fea~t of the Assumption, numbered no fewer than 400
or 500 persons. In return for the Fathers they offer land for
the building of churches and schools. Notwithstanding
this favorable aspect of things there is· some room for disquiet. We know by experience that in China such movements are always actuated by motives of policy or even
by other motives still less admissible ; so that we find it
necessary to take the most minute precautions and to act
with the strictest reserve lest we ourselves or our holy
religion should be in any way compromised. The number
of catechumens in Father Ravary's district at present is
�C!tina-Na11kin Jlfission.
very great. In the month of June they numbered 3500; today it would be impossible to enumerate them. The
majority of them are steadfast and determined, and have
fewer difficulties to overcome than they would have to
encounter elsewhere; for there the "Men of Letters" throw
no obstacles in the way, as indeed there are none left to do
so. The population is composed of immigrants from other
provinces, brought thither by the Mandarins to repeople
the land formerly devastated by the rebels. The destruction
caused by them is almost incredible; there are entire villages
in which ~there is not a single house standing, not a single
inhabitant surviving. All the pagodas, and with them of
course the bonzes, have disappeared; thus freeing us from
another source of opposition ; and besides, though the land
is extremely fertile, the people are very poor as yet, which
fact makes their conversion all the more easy.
·At Ngan-kin, Father Seckinger has to fight his way step
by step. He is, however, well established there. He devotes himself especially to the suburbs. In his district,
religious movements have been going on likewise, but unfortunately they are actuated by the same human motives
as in Ning-koue-fou. Father Seckinger was forced to send
away one half of his catechumens.who had disgraced the
name of religion by the acts o( robbery, extortion and
plunder which they perpetrated against their pagan neighbors ; and his conduct in doing so has contributed not a
little towards repairing the honor of the Faith and· restoring the authority of the missionaries. At Kien-se, the
theatre of the persecution of two years ago, he has established several new centres of Christianity.
The new French Minister to Pekin has arrived. vVe
hope that the present revision of the treaties will bring
about some solid guarantee for the safety of strangers in
China, and will ensure freedom of religious profession.
China is at present hedged in by difficulties on every sid'e,
so that it must, in spite of itself, submit to European influ-
�De Statu Cailsarum StT'L 0ntm Dei, Soc. 7csu.
1
165
ence. "Et habitabit Japhet in tabernaculis Sem." It is
our duty to turn to our profit all possible means for the
salvation of souls; assist us I beseech you with ·your
prayers.
I remain your de\·oted brother in the SS. HH. of
Jesus and Mary,
A. Pfister, S. J.
DE STATU CAUSARUM SERYORI..Dl DEI, SOC. JESG.
1. Proxime nd Cnnonizntionemsnnt Can~ne B.ll. Petri Claver, .Joannis
llerclunans, et Alfonsi Rodriguez. Jam confecti sunt Proce~sus Apostolici super nov is mirnculi~ in Belgio, in Hispania et in America Septentrionnli. ldcoque statim nc probata fuerint eorumdem miraeuln, procedi
poterit ad Cnnonizntionem.
2. Ad Bentificntionem prne eeteris proximior e~t Causn Y. Rodulphi
Aquavi vue et nliorum quatuorl\Il\1.-Decst enim ur.a tan tum Congregatio,
qua declaretur, proecdi posse ad Bentificationem cum iis signis, seu
mirnculis, quae proposita sunt.
a. Post hnne venit immediate Causa V. Bernr.rdini Healini.-Desunt
tantnm dune Congregationes pro approbatione mirnculomm.
4. Circa virtutes in grmlu heroico pendet Causa V. Antonii Baldinucei.
Deest ultima Congregatio, proxime habenda, super iisdem virtutibus.
5. Paritcr una tantum Congrcgatio desideratur ad absolvendum ac
dirimcndum dubium de virtutihns in Causa V. Roberti Bellarn1ini Card.
et Episc.
6. Agitantur praetcrea in S. R. C., Causae sequcntcs: VY. ~DI. Cnssoviensium, ~larci Crisini CniJonici Strigoniensis, et PP. 1\[elchioris
Grodzecii, et P. Pongratz S. ,J.-Agcndum est in trihus Congregationibus
de l\[artyrio et de signi,;.
V. P. Juliani ~[aunoir.-Agcmlum est de introductionc ('nnsne.
V. P. Emanuclis Padiai.-Agemlum cRt de virtutibus in grndn heroico.
7. Die 16 mensis Octohris 1872, hora 10. mntutina, coram Illnstrissimo
Archiep. Parisicnsi inchoatus est Processus super Martyrio quinque
Patrnm S. J. ab impiis in odium Religionis nceatorum.
Atque· hac stmt Causae, quae in praesenti ngnntur.
�CURRENT ITEMS .
.Ale.rarulria, Ya.- 'Vhen f'liling health obliged the late Father Kroes to
relinquish, a few weeks before his death, the care of the congregation of
St. :Mary's Church in this citv, Father O'Kane was appointed to succeed
him. The new pastor has laid a good foundation for his future work in
the ministry. by securing to his flock the blessing of a Spiritual Retreat.
The exercises\vere conducted by Father Glackmeyer of New York, md
the result left nothing wanting to satisfy the desires of the new pastor.
We hear with gmtifieation that the members of St. )lary's congreg:~tion
intend erecting in the Church grounds a suitable monu111ent to the zealous
pastor who served them so faithfully nnd so long. This monument to
Father Kroes will stand as companion piece ofthe beautiful memorial to
Father Blox erected by this same grateful people, to whom that g·ood
Father d('votPd many y('nr;; of hi;; fruitful life.
Pldladelphia.-Thc interior of St. .Joseph's Church in this city has
been- thoroughly renovated, nnd with its newly frescoed walls and
rich paintings, p!'cscnts the appearance of a new church. Commerce has
encronchPd greatly on the territory of the pari~h, and many former
members of the congregation have been forced to seek homes in distant
portions of the city. Nevertheless the work in the confessional is in no
way diminished, am\ as shown in the extract.from a private l('tter which
we subjoin, the fruits and consolations of their holy ministry ar(' a hnndantly granted the Fathers of the old Chureh.
""\Ve have much consolation in the gre:\t numl.Jer of conversions fi·mn
Protestantism, and in the very extrnonlinay returns to God after years of
neglect; seven, ten, fifteen, yes forty, fifty years without confession, anti
back they come, thanks be to God. To-morrow, if al.Jle, I have to ~el'
three perHons, two women and a man, l.Jorn of Catholic parents, made their
First Communion, l.Jegan to associate with Protrstunts, left the Church,
and now in their !,1st sickness a"fter twenty, forty and forty-six year;;
neglect wish to rome back to the ::\IothPr they desci1ed.-I perform the
funeral services to-morrow over n young man, whom I baptized last
.Monday evening. He could not reeol\ect that his lilt her or mother ever
told him there was a God; IH<lno remmnhranee of having bePn inside a
church; was n printer by trade, and hmlnwt with the prayer, J[other of
God Jll'liY (o1• a ,,iimer, which he frequently rrpeated during the last t<'n
years of his life. In Cunningham'H window had seen my portrait with
�Currmt Items.
my name underneath. 'Vhen he was dying, the doctor asked him if he
would have a parson; he answered: "Yes, parson J ......" I hurried
round, instructed him as much as the circumstances would allow, and
baptized him. I attribute this and similar conversions to the consecration of our congregations to the Sacred Heart of our divine Lord.''
Of the mission that closed In St. Joseph's Church on Palm Sunday, one
of the fathers who conducted it writes:
"God blessed our labors in a most wonderful manner. The crowds
from early morning till late at night were immense. Not only the
Church, through the pews, aisles and galleries, was one living mass of
human beings, but the sacristy and all avenues leading to the Church
were crowded. There was no abatement of fervor tlu·oughout the week.
The confessional kept all busy until a late hour every night, and amongst
the people a real enthusiasm prevailed."
'
D. 0. M.
��WOODSTOCI( LETT.ERS.
VOL. II., No. 3·
MIRACULOUS PICTURE OFST. FRANCIS XAVIER.
In the chapel of the College· of St. Ildefonso, one' of the
four which tli.e Society had in the City of Mexico until its
expulsion, June, 1767, hangs a half-length picture of St.
Francis Xavier, a true work of art and most devotional in
expression. It was quite usual at one time for devout
persons to come to the ~hapel at night to pray and discipline
themselves before this image. On the night of the 6th of
March, in the year 1670, two of the Collegians, D. Pedro
Vidarte and D. Maximiliano Pro, who had come to the
chapel .for the pious purpose just mentioned, were astonished at seeing the countenance ·of the Holy Apostle
shooting forth bright flames, as if on fire. They drew
nearer to ascertain the cause of the strange appearance,
when the bright inflamed color of the face quickly changed
to a deadly paleness. The young men hastened to commu-
�170
.iliiraculous Pictme· of St. Jtnmcis Xavier.
nicate the wonderful occurrence to the Rector of the CoiFather Jose Vidal, who at once hastened to the chapel.
with all the students, to verify the statement. One of the
party, Father Prudencio de 1\lesa, Professor of Philosophy
in ~the Colegio 1l1aximo, testified on oath that for several
days before he had noticed, while ~aying l\Iass at the
Saint's altar, that the face of the picture seemed to sweat
profusely, but mistrusting the avouchment of his own
senses in so strange and important a matter he had abstained from mentioning the fact until it was now brought
to notice by·the testimony of so many eye-witnesses. He
now put on ! surplice and approaching the picture wiped
off the perspiration, which, notwithstanding, continued to
flow freely for several days. The Rector instituted a careful examination to ascertain whether the strange occurrence
might not be due to some dampness in the walls ; but they
were perfectly dry, and moreover the other pictures which
hung around that of the Saint were in no way affected; the
pallor which had overspread the Saint's countenance remained, though the hands retained their former color.
There was no doubt then, in the minds of all, that the
event was clearly miraeulous; and though, at the time,
there was nothing that could thro!V any light upon the
causes that might lead to so wond~iful a manifestation, it
was afterwards generally believed to portend the martyrdom of the venerable and apostolic Father Diego Luis de
Sanvitores, which occurred one year later in the Mariana
Islands. This belief was founded on the very intimate
relations which had existed between the holy martyr and
Father Vidal, who was at that time Procurator of the Mariana Mission.
The Rector, desirous to foster and increase the devotion
towards the holy Apostle to which this remarkable occurrence had given a new impetus, sent for a very skilful artist
to prepare and to decorate a special chapel for the reception
of the miraculous image ; but, impatient of the delay which
~ege,
�.l'rfimmlo~:s
Picture of St. Francis Xavier.
I
7I
attended the execution of his orders, he had the picture
removed to the s'pendid altar of St. Francis in the chapel
cf the Colegio Jlfa.ximo, where it remained several years.
Many copies of it were made to satisfy the devotion of those
who had witnessed the miracle or who wished to testify
their devotion to this new Thaumaturgus of the Church.
Later, the College of St. Ildefonso asserted its right to the
possession of the precious work of art, which was accordingly transferred to the new and magnificent chapel of the
college and set up in a costly silver frame at the expense
cf Dr. Manuel Rojo, Canon of the Metropolitan church
and a distinguished alumnus of the college. ' Many signal
favors were bestowed upon the college in return for the
honors paid to the Saint. One, taken at random from the
many recorded, may suffice to show how efficacious was
the aid of him whom the college had taken as the protector, especially of the general health of the house.
In the year 1725. a violent epidemic fever of a very
malignant type was raging in the city, most of the cases
proving fatal. Sixty of the students were attacked besides
the Minister, Father Antonio de Figueroa. The miraculous
picture was borne in procession to the rooms of the patients,
but whether through forgetfulness, or inadvertence, or perhaps, by some special disposition of divine Providence, the
picture was not brought to Father de Figueroa: moreover,
in confirmation of the latter supposition, an old father of
the Colegio Maximo, on discovering this omission, went on
three different occasions to the College of St. Ildefonso for
the express purpose of taking the picture to Father Figueroa, but at each visit his mind was completely diverted
from the principal object of his coming, by a number of
incidental occurrences or occupations. Not one of the
students died: Father de Figueroa was the only victim of
the disease in the· College, though he left behind him a
strong conviction, founded on his religious virtue and his
fervently pious preparation for death, that he had but passed
from temporal to eternal life.
�ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, PHIL~DELPHIA.
PART SECOND.
The year I8oo opened in Philadelphia with four churches,
St. Joseph's.. and her eldest daughters, St. Mary's, Holy
Trinity and St. Augustine's, which last had been lately
dedicated. The daughters were all considerably larger and
handsomer than the. mother, with pretensions to architectural beauty. Two of them are still standing but the third,
ere she had reachd the mature age of forty-five, perished,
not through decay, but by the hands of rioters. The first
and second were gifts ·to the Philadelphians ; · the third and
fourth were erected from their offerings with some a!!sistance.from Europe. Especially was this the case with regard
to St. Augustine's; for Very Rev. Father Carr, when coming
to America, brought with him in the form of £. s. d. solid .
marks of the confidence of his Order..
After the suppression of our Soci~ty in 1773, the material help received from the English Province ceased and the
. ever to be lamented system of trusteeism was introduced
into Philadelphia. This evil became, as it were, ingrafted
. into the spirit of Church government ;when in 1788, St.
Mary's Church was chartered by the legislature of the
State of Pennsylvania. During the first third of this century it was the evil of the diocese, hanging over its fair
fields of budding promise, like an unsightly mist obscuring the beauty of the scene, and debarring the warmth
and light that the rising sun of our religion had begun so
propitiou'sly to shed on the region it had destined to be so
fruitful in the future. In 1797. its first pernicious germ
showed itself in Trinity Church, and for sixty years it made
�-
St. :Joseph's Clmrclz, Plzi!adelplzia.
I
73
that congregation a continual cause of anxiety to tlze rulers
of tlze lzouse of tlze Lord, until the saintly Bishop Neumann, by a masterly piece of policy obtained for this
Church a new charter, dispensing with trustees and placing
the government of its temporalities in its pastors, appointed
by the Bishop. There are now, I think, in the Diocese of
Philadelphia, but two churches with trustees, St. Mary's
and St. Michael's; those of the latter have never given any
trouble, and those of the former, a few years since, entered
into an arrangement by which the pastor is virtually the
board of trustees.
At this time all the priests of Philadelphia, with the exception of those interdicted at Holy Trinity, resided at St.
Joseph's. From the Baptismal and Marriage Registries
we find thirteen officiating there at times during the year;
viz.-Very Rev. Mathew Carr, 0. S. A., D. D., V. G., Pastor of Sts. Joseph's, Mary's and Augustine's, Rev. John
Rossiter, 0. S. A., Fr. A. T. R. Fm De Kersauson de Kerjean, ptre Cath. Rom., Rev. George Staunton, 0. S. A., Rev.
John Bourke, Rev. Bartholomew Augustine M'Mahon, 0.
S. A., Rev. Peter Helborn, Rev. Nicholas Brennan, Rev.
Francis Beeston, Rev. D. Boury, Rev. Philip Stafford, 0.
S A., Rev William O'Brien and Rev. Michael Lacy. Of
these the first three seem to have been the regular pastors
of St. Joseph's and St. Mary's, the others officiating at St.
Augustine's and on the missions.
During the previous year, the mission at Trenton had
been commenced by Rev. D. Boury. The first baptism in
that City, which now counts its thousands of Catholics,
with three fine churches, schools, a hospital, and an asylum,
is thus recorded in St. Joseph's Registry:* Die 4a Oct.
1799 a Revdo. D._ Boury, Trenton New Jersey, Joannes
\Varren, natus de Joanne et Anna Mount c. c. l. c. Susceptoribus Francisco de Mouzeuil et Margarita Charlotta
D'Auquin Reynard.
* Bapt. Registry pag. 334.
�174
St. Yosep!t's Clmrclt, Plziladclplzia.
The first Philadelphian made a Christi<>n in the nineteenth century seems to have been a negro ~lave:* "1 Sao.
Januarii Die Ia a Rev. M. Carr:_Caesar, natus 13a Sept.
1799 de Josephina Ducombe. Pafrino Emanuele Torres."
In I790most of the German families, who had worshipped
at St. Joseph's from the time of Father Schneider, S. J. left
and took pews in the German Church of Holy Trinity.
But the troubles between the Trustees and the Ecclesiasti~
·cal Authorities caused many ofthem in 1801 to return, and
their names are again found in the Registries.
In the~ 'Baptismal Registry for 1802 we find this record:
"1802. Oct. 17a a Rev. M. Carr. Isaac Augustinus Hayes
natusdie 21a Aug. h. a. de Patricio, Cath. et Elizabeth Keen,
Acath. Susceptor fuit Joannes Barry."t The God-father was
the celebrated Commodore John Barry Father of the American Navy. And the father of the Child, Patrick Hayes,
was on the mother's side connected with the family of St.
Francis de Sales. He it was who presented to Father
Ba_!"belin, S. J. a portrait, taken from life, of this great saint.
In the following month Father Rossiter received into the
church a distinguished convert: Nov. 28a a. R. I. Rossiter,
Cornelius Tiers natus in statu New York a' viginti circiter
duobis annis, cooptatus fuit in ..ecclesiam; patrinus fuit
Timotheus Collins t. Mr. Tiers bec'ame a firm and leading
Catholic. ' His descendants to the third generation are still
respected in the diocese. For many years he was the coadjutor of Father Hurley, 0. S. A., in providing for the
orphans of St. Joseph's Asylum, which Father Leonard
Neale, of St. Joseph's Church, had established in 1797, but
which in the early years of this century had a hard struggle
to maintain its existence.
Sometime during this year, Very Rev. Father Carr removed from St. Joseph's to the pastoral Residence of St.
Aug~stine's, a house in N. Fourth Street, immediately south
---------*Baptismal Registry, p. 337.
t Do. p. 148.
t Do.
�St. :Joseph's C/mrclz, Pltiladclpltia.
I
75
of the Church. He left Rev. Raphael Fitzpatrick, as pastor of St. Joseph's, with Father Rossiter, 0. S. A., and Rev.
Michael Lacy as his assistants. He, however, continued
Vicar General, and to a certain extent, Administrator of
Philadelphia and the missions. Father Carr was a man of
untiring zeal, much loved by those who .knew him, but too
dignified to please the vulgus profammz. He was in all
respects a man of learning and virtue, but Father Rossiter
it was who gained the hearts of the people. It has been
my happiness to comfort the last hours of some of the
venerable Catholics of Philadelphia, who having known
me almost from infancy, and my father and mother before
me, found great pleasure in talking with me of the early
days of St Joseph's Church. My delight in listening was
no less than theirs in narrating. Father Carr, Father John
Bourke, Father Nick Brennan and Father Stafford are all
familiar names, but Fr. Rossiter's is the name that lingers
most fondly on the lip and often draws tears from the eye.
One octogenary who died lately, Sept. 9th, 1872, and of
whom, I think, I will have occasion to speak hereafter, forgetting the passage of time, would imagine me Fr. Rossiter,
and throwing his arms around my neck, try to call to my
recollection the times when his saintly mother and mine
roved, hand-in-hand, the verdant fields of Connaught. The
old man himself was my mother's senior by twelve years,
and I do not think she was ever out of the Middle·States
-She may have been in Maryland.
1803 finds the priests of St. Joseph's and St. Augustine's
two distinct families, but most agreeable neighbors: And
so, thank God, they have ever continued, members of two
great orders, laboring for the same great object, and indulg'
ing no petty jealousies.
· In the early part of this year, Rev. Michael Egan, 0. S.
F., arrived in Philadelphia. He came to supersede Very
Rev. Dr. Carr, 0. S. A., in the Vicar-general-ship, but at
Father Carr's desire and, I think, at his request. He spent
�176
St. :Joseplz's Clmrclt, P/ziladelplzia.
some days at St. Augustine's Residence, and preached on
Sunday in the Church, wearing the habit and cord of St.
Francis. On this occasion, I have been told, Fr. Carr for
the first time, assumed the dress of the Augustinians, and
was present in the Sanctuary: Father Paul Stafford, 0. S.
A. sang the mass. Neither Father Carr nor the loved
Father Hurley, his successor in the superiorship of the
Augustinians, wore the habit of their order as their ordinary drelis, but only on occasions appeared in it.
The first official act of Vicar General Michael Egan, 0. S.
F., was a baptism whose record will be interesting, as being
the first performed by him, who was afterwards Philadelphia's first Bishop. 1803 1 Ia Aprilis, a Rev. M. Egan,
Hanna Mullins nata 3a Aprilis 1803 Phila. de Jacobo Mullins et Barbara Murray c. c. L. c. Susceptores fuere Dionisius M'Makin et Catharina Murray.*
I have heard an old lady, whose name I have forgotten,
speak of Father Egan's appearance. Her recollections of
him, I cannot say how much to be depended on, present
him ~as tall, spare, but very straight, nearly six feet high,
of sallow complexion, with very black curly hair, mild,
pleasing countenance, with eyes modestly cast down. His
"memory" certainly "is with praises", in the Church of
Philadelphia. Even when a boy, I feitan interest in the first
Bishop of my native city, my friends had not seen him,
but had heard much of him. A current story of the time
was his having been seen in a rapture or an ecstacy, before
the picture of St. Francis, then and now, in the room called
"the front parlor" of St. Joseph's. In boyhood, I often
heard the account of this ecstacy, from old friends, and my
venerable friend of Connaught-rambles-reminiscences,
twice referred to it. The general recollection seemed to be .
that Bishop Egan was mild in appearance as he was saintly
in character.
*
Baptismal Registry, p. 284.
�St. Yoseph's Clzurclz, Philadelplzia.
ijj
For a short while, Rev. Mr. Egan had the assistance of
Rev. Ambrose Marshal; twin-brother of our Brother Joseph
Marshal; but he soon sent him to the missions in the interior of the state where he did much good.
The baptisms of St. Joseph's and St. Mary's this year
numbered 284.
On the 25th of April, 1804, we find a baptism by Rev.
Michael Hurley, 0. S. A.,* only remarkable as showing
that then, as ever since have existed good feelings between the pastors of St. Augustine's arid St. Joseph's,
and as the first performed by that holy man in St. Joseph's
Church. I wish the bounds I have placed to my religious
gossip would but allow me to relate some of the accounts
of this remarkable priest; who, in very difficult times; was
the evangelizer of Philadelphia.
In the latter part of 18o8 the distinguished Dominican
Father, William Vincent Harold, 0. S.D., arrived to assist
Fathers Egan, 0. S. F., and Rossiter, 0. S. A. The first
n.otice of his presence at St. Joseph's is a nuptial blessing
given to John Ward and Rebeca Ward on the 25th of Nov.t
These three Reverend gentlemen, members of three diferent orders, each as peculiar in his personal appearance
as in his natural disposition, and each holy in his own manner, lived together, for three .years in the most perfect harmony; "Having gifts differing according to the grace
which is given them," but each being "zealous for the
better gifts." The saintly and scholarly Franciscan, gentle a~ a Sister of Mercy, but timorous, fearful of giving
offense, remaining much at home, but equal1y accessible to
poor and rich. The beloved and bustling Augustinian,
abroad much of the time, but working "the works of Gcid,"
visiting more in the hovels of Shippen and German
Streets; than in the stately mansions of East Fourth Street.·
And the doquent and elegant Dominican, who whilst "the
*Baptismal Registry, p. 230.
t !1arriage Registry, p. 76.
�178
St. :Joseph's Church, P!ti!adelp!tia.
father of the orphans and the judge of the widows," was
frequently_ found in the drawing room, or asit was then
called the parlor, and at the social board of those whom
Providence had blessed with an abundance of this world's
goods.
For nearly forty years the Catholics of the South-eastern part of the City had, on S~ndays, attended divine
service at St. Mary's Church, but the gentleness of Father
Egan and the eloquence of Father Harold had attracted
such numl:!ers, that in 1809 it was resolvedto enlarge the
church. ~This enlargement was begun in the Spring and
finished in the Autumn of r8ro, giving St. Mary's Church
its present noble dimensions.
On the 20th of October of this year, Fathers Egan and
Harold went to Baltimore, leaving Rev. Patrick Kenny
with the care of St. Mary's, while Father Rossiter still
watched over St. Joseph's. On the 28th of this month,
Rev. Michael Egan, 0. S. F. was consecrated, in Baltimore
the first Bishop of Philadelphia, by Bishop John Carroll,
assisted by Rt. Rev. Leonard Neale, former pastor of St.
Joseph's. Father Wm. Vincent Harold, 0. S.D., preached
the consecration sermon, and this he did at the particular
request of the new prelate, who was accustomed to style
him, "the brother of my heart." ..- ·
They returned to this city in the latter part of November.
Father Egan's first record, in his new character as Bishop,
is: "Dec. ra a Revsimo Michl Egan, James Bertrand Gardette natus Philadel. die 19a Dec. 1807 de James Gardette
et Mary L. Carisse c. c. L. c. sus. fuerunt Bertrand Cuillavet
et Fanny Louise Gardette." t
The entries of Bishop Egan in the different registries of
St. Joseph's are remarkable for the peculiarity of the writing. They are perfectly neat and legible, but if gazed at
for any length of time, they give one a sensation, as if
reading with the book upside down.
t Baptismal Registry, p. 42.
�St. :Joseph's, Clmrclz, Plzi!adelplzia.
179
One of the first acts of the new Bishop was to appoint
Father Wm. Vincent Harold, 0. S. D., his Vicar-general.
In the month of April 181 I, Rev. James Harold, 0. S.D.,
uncle to the Vicar-general, arrived from Ireland and was
stationed at St. Joseph's :-his first record being on April
r8th.*
·
De Courcy says: "In r810, it became necessary to enlarge the edifice (St. Mary's), and these new erections gave
rise to conflicts of authority with the Bishop, at the same
time that the trustees set up claims to be consulted in the
choice of their pastors, and unfortunately, Father Harold
and his uncle arrayed themselves in a measure against the
Bishop. This was the more, to be regretted, as the youn,ger Harold; though a man of eminent qualities and striking
defects, was full of real eloquence and virtue, but marred
his transcendent merit by the asperity of his temper."t
This statement, which has been copied by the estimable
author of the "Lives of the Deceased Bishops," is incorrect in many particulars. The enlargement of St. Mary's
was begun and ended, without any opposition from the
trustees, before the consecration of Father Egan. At the
· time of the consecration the kindest feeling existed between
the two priests, as evinced by Father Egan's requesting
Father Harold to preach .the consecration sermon and his
afterwards appointing him as his Vicar-general, when very
many thought Very Rev. Michael Hurley 0. S. A., should
have received ~hat appointment. The elder Harold did not
arrive in Philadelphia until nearly eighteen months after
the enlargement was mz fait accompli. "The right of appointing a pastor" was a difficulty brought upon the tapis
in 1820 during the Hogan trouble. And as to the "anonymous printed appeals,t the first heard of them was during
*Baptismal Registry, p. 74.
tThe Catholic Church in the United States, p. 225.
:1: Vol. L J?· 191.
�180
St. :Joseph's Clzurclz, Philadelphia.
the correspondence bet.v~en Father Harold, as Secretary
to the second Bishop of Philadelphia, and the infamous
Wm. 1fogan. Father Harold denied from the pulpit of St.
Jo~eph\ not qnly having been the author of such pam~
phlets, put ~hat any such had been circulated, and called
upon his accusers to produce one of them.*
Until ~800, the Catholics of Philadelphia, with the exception of a few fa!Uilies, the Hayes, Careys, Eslings, Meades,
~arrys, Fitzsimmons, lYloylans, O'Bryans, Powels and Keefes,
were not :only. poor, but exceedingly humble as to their
social standing. During the first decade of the century,
many of them had been very successful in commerce and
ii1 mercantile pursuits, and, with the acquisition of wealth,
put on the airs of the paryenu. One of the greatest objects
of their all!bition was to associate with the aristocratic
members of the late ·~State Church." To be known by the
1nembers of St. Peter'~ was the ultima thule of their
ambition.
,
§t. Mary's, though exceedingly plain, the walls peing
painted a dull blue and the ceiling a more vivid shade of
~e same color, studded at regular intervals of twelve inches
with very sleepy stars, was not devoid of architectural
b~auty, its arch is to the present ..day an object of envy to
some of the architect~ of the counti-y.
These ne\y 111ade gentlemen and ladies, who thought our
Divine Saviour was not up to the age when He said, HNo
ser"V~nt can serve two mast!'!rs" and intended to show the
(:;burch and ~od that they could ·~serve God and mammon/'
~~ the s~1ne time, thought a fine church called for a fine
pre<lcher. ~ow, F<1ther Harold was a fine preacher: ''Yes,
sir,'' said l\'lr. A, ... "Father Haro!d is a fin~ preacher, he,
~ir, ~~ a11 orator., sir.." Two Latin sermons preserved in the ·
Library of St. Joseph's attest his eloquence in the tongue
of ~icero, as well as that of Ha~er~t:: H~ £~'.:!!~ not
*Mr. Eugene Murphy, a Hoganite, and at one time employ~ by the
trustees of St. Mary's to correct Mr. Hogan's literary efforts.
·
�St. Yosep!t's Clzurclz, P/ziladelpllia.
18 f
however be in truth styled a very fluent speaker, as three
weeks were required for the preparation and production of
each sermon, every word of it having to be written ;md
conned as by a_$chool-boy. He w~s, at the.time, the only
polished speaker among the Catholic ~lergy. Mr. John R.
G. Hassard, in his life of Archbishop Hughes, speaks of
Father Harold and Dr. Hurley being both eloquent preach~
ers. There are many in Philadelphia with whpm Father
Hurley is one whose :~memory is in benediction," and who
will descant by the hour Oil his virtues, but I have never
met one who called him an orator.-He instructed by pis
words·and preached most eloquently by his actions.
Wishing to monopolize to themselves Father Wm. Vincent Harold, the trustees determined to erect a pastoral
residence near St. Mary's, and had already selected a lot at
the S. \V. corner of 4th and Prune streets, and entered into
negotiations for the purchase of it. Fat4er Wm. Vincent
was pleased with the idefi; Father Jallles Harold warmly
urged it-but Bishop Egan very wisely disapproved of it.
First, as he saw no necessity for a separate residepj;e; and,
secondly, and principally, because the movement had been
taken, not only without his approval as President of the
Board of Trustees, but even without pis being cqnsulted.
·This was the first flCt of insubordination of the Trustees
of St. Mary's to their Bishop, and the one in which they
were encouraged by Fathers liarold. father Wm. Vincent
was inclined to yield, but his uncle, Father James, influenced
him to place himself in opposition to his fqrmer friend and
present :Pishop. This sad state of affairs lasted but for a
slto:t while, when, in 1813, the pephew and uncle returned
to !::eland. The Suqday before their departure, Bishop
Egan preacheq at St. Mary's, and stated that there had
never been an unkind word between him and the "brother
of his heart," and tl1at he considered "Father James" the
cause qf ali the trouble.*
,-I
•
''
*Mr. John O'Keefe.
•;.
�182
St. Yoscplz's Clmrch, Philadelphia.
. This occurred nearly a score of years before my appearance upon the stage of action, but at that time and for
years afterwards my father was teacher of St. Joseph's Parochial School, living, with his young family, in a house
almost adjoining the North East end of the Church, and
was on the· most intimate terms with all the clergymen, and
had every opportunity of knowing the true state of the
case. The financial system on which this school was conducted I· would recommend to economical pastors. The
teacher was.'permitted to· rent a house (it being required
that he should be a married man) and school; pay the rent,
and teach a stipulated number of pupils, male and iemale,
for the /zo11or of being teacher of ''St. Joseph's School,"the pay he received from the other pupils to be his compensation.
The vacancy, caused by the departure of the Fathers Harold, was filled by Rev. Wm. O'Brien* and Patrick Kenny.t
· In August of this year, 1813; we find a·member of a
fourth Religious order domiciled in the house· of the Jesuit
Greaton. "Die 29a Aug., a Rev. Patre Vincent de Paul,
Trappista, Jane Haviland nata Philadelphiae, 24 huj. mens.
de John Haviland et de Grace Glacken c. c. L. c. sus. fr.
James McClosky et Anne Havilan~;·t This, I have been
told, w'as a nephew of the Right Rev: Bishop. In September, the sacerdotal corps was increased by the arrival of the
Rev. Charles Winters, who was soon sent· to the missions.
The good Rev. Terence M'Girr arrived in the middle of
October.§ During my noviceship, it was said that our improvement· in writing kept pace with our improvement in
spirituality. I cannot imagine what must have been Rev.
Mr. M'Girr's style, when he first began the spiritual life if
such frightful hieroglyphics indicate his well-known, exalted virtue.
*Baptismal Registry, p. 104.
Do.
Do. p. 151.
e
t Do. p. 128..
:f: Do. p. 138
�St. Yoseplz's Clmrclz, Plziladelplzia.
183
In 1814, at the request of the Right Rev. Bishop, Rev.
John Grassi S. J. visited St. Joseph's, and for a short time
performed parochial duties.* It was not his intention to
remain, but Bishop Egan had known him in Rome .and,
having a premonition of his death, requested a visit from
him that he might assist him in his preparations for the
final struggle. In Father Barb!!lin's collection was the letter of Father Grassi, dated at Georgetown College, accepting the invitation, a letter full of encouragement and breathing the spirit of an Apostle. He was accompanied by a Rev.
Clement Garcia, whether a Jesuit I know not, ;~.nd who appears to have administered the sacraments for but a short
time.t
·
Bishop Egan until almost the very day nf his death
lamented the departure of Father \Vm. Vincent Harold.
In his last sickness he still called him, "the brother of my
heart." And from his many affectionate remarks concern-.
ing him, I feel confident that if he had had the satisfaction
of nominating his successor, Wm. Vincent Harold, 0. S. D.,
would have stood upon the list "dignissimus." The Right
Rev. Michael Egan, 0. S. F., First Bishop of Philadelphia
died at St. Joseph's, on the 22nd of July, 1814, in Room
No. J., stretched in the form of a cross upon the floor before
the picture of his loved patron, St. Francis of Assisium.
He was universally regarded as a saint. His funeral took
place at St. Mary's; Father Hurley, 0. S. A., was his panegyrist, and, if I mistake not, Father Grassi, S. J., sang the
Mass. The sisters of Charity from Emmitsburg, whom he
had introduced into the diocese, with the orphans from St.
Joseph's Asylum, which had been established by Father
Leonard Neale, in 1797, and the matrons with the orphans
from St. Vincent's Asylum were present on the sad occasion.
Immediately upon the death of Bishop Egan, Archbishop
Neale appointed Rev. Lewis· de Barth, or as he almost
invariably signs himself Ludovicus Barth, then in charge of
*Baptismal Registry, p. 152.
t Do. p.153.
�I
84
St. Yoscplz's Church, Plziladelplzia.
our church and missions at Conewago, administrator of the
diocese. The appointment was not a fortunate one. I
question not the piety, the learning, the zeal of the Rev.
gentleman, but there are Fathers still living in this province
who knew him before his retirement to Georgetown College,
where he died, and I do not think one of them will say he
was well suited for that office.
Father de Barth upon his appointment did not retire from
the care of the mission of Conewago but travelled backwards
and fonvards; almost monthly, between that place and Philadelphia, his-first visit being on August 24th.* From that time
until the arrival of Bishop Conwell, he was a frequent and
honoredguestatthe house of my parents, and the only source
of communication between my mother and grandmother and
their Quaker relatives in Adams County. Not unfrequently
wouid he visit the school-house before the parsonage, and
old Mrs. Evans kne\v well what to give "the old man" for
supper. It was the only house in the city at which he felt
at home, and many a time would he unburden his mind of
pasto;al cares which he would not mention to his confreres
at the other side of the Church, and about 8 o'clock. P.
M. he would glide around through the graveyard, go to his
room, say his prayers, and next ~oming after an early
Mass, mount his horse for Conewagd. My poor mother
thought there was no one like Father de Barth, she would
have considered it an unfortunate day, if one of her children had pronounced him not perfect-she little thought
her own anecdotes were somewhat prejudicing one of those
children against him.
At this time riiany of the Catholics of Philadelphia held
a very high position in what is called society, and as this,
for some of them; was a new thing, they were very nervous
lest their priests should do anything that might shame their
gentility. Father Hurley, 0. S. A., the leading priest of
the city, a holy and amiable man, laughed at and ridiculed
*Baptismal Registry, p. 159.
�St. Yoseplz's Clmrclt, Plti!adelpltia.
I
85
their airs, and took delight in violating their rules of etiquette, and in generally shocking their ;;ensibilities. I will
here relate an amusing anecdote of this saintly man. In St.
Augustine's Church, they had adopted the European custom
of having a Swiss guard to preserve order. Our Swiss was
born in the Emerald Isle, one Thomas O'Shaughnessy by
name. One of his principal duties was to remove the hats
of those who kept covered in the presence of the EverAdorable, and for this purpose our Swiss was furnished
with a long rod hooked at the end, \vith which Mr;
O'Shaughnessy caused many an amusing gyration to be performed on different occasions. One Sunday afternoon at
the monthly Vespers, Father Hurley noticed Robert Wharton, a leading Friend and one of Philadelphia's wealthiest
citizens stalk up the middle aisle. head covered with an ash~
colored broad-brim. The Swiss, for once, was awed by the
respectable position of the offender. The uppertendom of
Philadelphia Catholicity trembled lest they might see that
respectable beaver, circling. in the air for a foot or two and
then rolling gracefully up the aisle. But no ! Thomas was
intently watching some little tow-headed boys under the
gallery stairs. Little escaped the keen eye of Rev. Michael
Hurley, 0. S. A. Here was the opportunity long desired,
of shocking their delicate sense of the deference due to
wealth. Father Hurley did not usually speak with a brogue,
but when he ascended the platform of the Altar, to give the
instruction, while every eye was fixed upon him, and many
a heart beat quickly, he quietly surveyed the congregation
for a moment, and then in a loud rough voice he cried:
"Tom, mon, I say, mon, oaf with auld \Vharton's hat."
Mr. O'Shaughnessy did not wait for a second bidding, but
gravely marching up the aisle, insttad of sending the hat
whirling in the air, he gracefully raised it on his hook and
slowly retracing his steps to the door of 'the Church, he
pitched it into Fourth Street. And as my informant*
*.My God-mother, ~Iiss ~Iary Tierney.
�I
86
St. joseph's Churclz, Philadelphia.
hastened, handkerchief to mouth out of Church, Tom
quietly remarked : "tut, tut, guirl, ain't you ashamed to
laugh·at the praste ?"
This good Augustinian did not confine himselftoshocking
the sensibilities of the elite. \Vherever there was a scandal
to be corrected in either of the two parishes of St. Joseph's
or St. Augustine's, there the zealous Father Hurley was to
be found. He did not believe in wearing kid gloves when
scouring the sink, his speech on these occasions was loud
and caustic; Once, one whom he had been severely reprimanding, ~raised his arm to strike this "anointed of the
Lord;" although he lived more than fifteen years afterwards,
he never lowered it. I, myself, have more than once seen
this person. He sincerely repented his sin. Father Hurley prayed God to pardon him, and at his, Father Hurley's
request, Father Dubuisson, S. J., interceded with our Holy
Founder, but heaven was dea£ The body with the arm
raised was laid in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Father Hurley left many warm friends among the Protestants, as well as devoted children among the Catholics.
Some of his Protestant friends delight to this day to recount
his arduous apostolic labors. At a dinner, at which the Rev.
Rector of Woodstock College, the~·Provincial of the Province of Maryland, was present, Mr. B ........ , of the Pennsylvania Rail Road Company, related the following incident: "I
called late in the evening, just after supper, to see Father
Hurley on important business. It was a fearful night.
Outside was one of those old-fashioned storms that we used
to have some twenty years ago. After transacting business,
Father Hurley insisted upon my spending the night with
him. He brought out the poteen, and I can tell you he
kept a good article in that line." "Oh, yes,!' interrupted
Rev. J. C. D .... , "I can bear testimony to that." "He
brewed a good strong punch for each. He then read his
priestiy service, while I balanced some accounts. About
ten \Ve retired for the night, he occupying his own room,
�St. :Josep!t's C/mrclt, P!tiladelpltia.
187
the second story front, and I a small room over the passage.
I had just fallen into a doze, when I was wakened by Father
Hurley, who, having finished his prayers, was getting into
bed. It was not long before I could hear him snoring the
snore of the-of the-Augustinians. I tell you what, it
was pleasant lying there, snugly wrapped up in blankets,
listening to the howling storm without. I had just fallen into my first sleep, when I was suddenly roused by a
terrific knocking at the front door. Immediately I heard
Father Hurley bounce out of bed, the mercury must have
gotten so far below zero that it had serious doubts if it
would ever get up again. Up went the sash. '\Vho's there?'
'Your Reverence, it's I.' 'Is it indeed? and who may I
be?' 'Your Reverence, there's a man dying in Schuylkillfirst Street above Gallushill.' Schuylkill first and Callowhill Street, at that time, was far beyond the limits of the
built-up part of the City, and the reputation of that part of
the municipality was not the best. 'What's the matter with
him?' 'Your Reverence, he's bad intirely, he's taken with
a colic, saving your Reverence's presence, in the belly.
He's dying your Reverence.' 'Have you had a doctor?'
'Yes, your Reverence, Mick, my brother, has gone for his
honor. 0 come, your Reverence, for it's a taring cold night
for a man to be out.' 'Where did you say he lives ?' 'In
Schuylkill first Street above Gallushill, you can't mistake
the house, seeing it's the only one there within a square.
Come at once, your Reverence, for I know he'll be dead
before you get there.' 'You two men go home and tell
them that the priest, Father Hurley, is coming. I'll get the
oils and the holy sacrament and follow you as soon as I can.'
I jumped out of my warm bed, knocked at the old gentleman's door, and offered to accompany him. 'Get back to
your bed, you - - what could a heretic do when a christian is dying?' The old man dressed quickly, came into
my .room with a half-pint of poteen, lest I should take cold,
fumbled for some time about his room, went to the Church,
�I
88
St. :Joseplt' s Clwrch,
Phi!adelphza~
and soon slammed the door as only Father Hurley could
slain doors. It was a fearful night- cold! we don't know
now-a-days what such cold is, the wind was blowing like a
hurricane, the hail and sleet driving against the windows,
like-like-I can't think, just now, like what, unless likeexcuse me, gentlemen-like h-11, and, to cap all, it had
been snowing continuously the two days previous. It was
now near one o'clock; I lay in bed, picturing to myself the
old man, out at such an hour, in such a neighborhood, and
in the midst of such a storm. In those days, in some
places, the·· streets were not paved above 8th or 10th
street, and I knew the sno\v must be nearly breast" ·high.
Father Hurley, though strong as a lion, was pretty well
advanced in years. About 3 o'clock, he returned, puffing
like a porpoise. He came into my room. '\Vell, Father
Hurley, how's the sick man?' 'He won't die, didn't see
him.' 'What! was there no person sick?' •y es-oh, but
this is terrible weather,' said the old gentleman, blowing
his finger-tips, 'when I got to Scl?-uylkill 7th and Callow hill,
I met two men coming back to tell me not to come. 'Your
Reverence,' they said, 'the sick man's well.' '\Vell? you
scoundrels,' said I. 'Yes, your Reverence, he took a little,
just a leetle, too much of the crat_ure, and we thought we
had better have a priest.' Father Hurley was up and said
· Church before 7 o'clock."
It must not be supposed that Father Hurley was the only
priest of whom the old people delight to relate anecdotes:
as I have mentioned before, his brother Augustinian at St.
Joseph's, Father John Rossiter, wound himself into the
affections and· around the hearts of the faithful, while
Fathers Kenny and M'Girr had a large circle of warm
admirers.
(To be continued.)
�AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MISSION OF
NEW YORK AND CANADA.
( Contiiwcd.)
Up to the period our sketch has now reached, St. Mary's
enjoyed, only by privilege, the title of College; but in 1836,
after a sharp contest, in the Legislature, between ourfriends
and our enemies, it received its charter as .a University·
This victory was, in great measure, due to the influence of
Fr. Murphy, who had lately arrived in Kentucky, and who
devoted himself unsparingly to promote the good of the
College.
But it was not only by thus perfecting what our Fathers
had already undertaken, that He for whom alone they toiled,
gave His blessing to their unassuming labors: in His
providence He destined for the little colony of St. Mary's a
still wider, and far distant field of action. For it He reserved the honor of sending the first pioneers of the new
Society to a land which had been crimsoned with some of
the noblest blood of the old, to inherit the mantle which
had fallen from a Brebeuf and a Lalemant, as they rose
into Heaven amid the whirlwind of savage persecution, and
to revive their spirit in the hearts of thosewho guarded so
jealously the precious deposit of their glorious bodies.
Mgr. Bourget, the zealous and devoted Bishop of Montreal, ardently wishing to see the Society once more at work
in its heavenly-appointed vineyard, invited Rev. Fr. Chazelle, in the year 1839, to conduct the annual ecclesiastical
retreat for the priests of the diocese.
�Ig<J
New York and Canada 111ission.
His presence awoke, throughout the whole of Canada,
fond and saintly memories which long had slumbered.
, Forthwith, the brothers. of those heroes that had died in
blessing the land, and blessed the land in dying, were eagerly pressed to re-enter the country; and no later than 1842
this new branch of our mission was founded. So desirous
to see the Fathers at once established in his diocese was
Mgr. Bourget, whose attachment to the Society has ever
displayed itself in an unceasing solicitude for the welfare of
its memb<:_rs, that he could not wait till a suitable building
should be ·erected, but kindly interested in their behalf the
pious Mr. Rodier, then a distinguished member of the Bar,
but some years later the still more distinguished Mayor of
Montreal. . This worthy representative of genuine catholic
charity declared to the Fathers that he would consider it a
personal favor if they would accept half of his own house,
to be their home as long as they wished. What was offered
with such noble disinterestedness was received with heartfelt.gratitude. As the spacious mansion had already been
partitioned off into two, the Fathers soon after took possession of their quarters, and, on Sept. 9th, 1843, gave the
habit of the Society to our first Canadian novice. This
favored subject, in less than a month, gave, in his turn., the
warm embrace of the Society to a fellow-novice, and both
together, began the ascent of the rugged road of perfec~ion,
helped by each other's example.* Of course, our ordinary
means of subsistence were not, as yet, secured, but
"He, who stills the raven's clam'rous nest,
And decks the lily fair in flow'ry pride,"
provided, no less bountifully, for the well-being of his servants. The alms of the faithful were abundant, and if want
*Respect for the feelings of the living banished from the text
the names of these first-fruits of the new Society in Canada;. but here in
the foot-notes the desire to be useful to future annalists, allows us to
mention, the names of Fr. Regnier, now "operarius" in Troy; and of
R. Fr. H. Hudon our kind Rector at St. Francis Xavier's.
�New York and Canada MissioJZ.
191
were occasionally felt, it served only to give zest to succeeding plenty. Such being the case it is hard to understand
how it became noised abroad, through the city, that the.
fathers were dying of hunger. The rumor came to the ears
of our best of friends, his Lordship, the Bishop, and grieved
him to the heart. He started without delay for our residence, and calling for Fr. Luiset, the Master of novices,
asked him, in a voice in which loving tenderness struggled
with paternal severity, how he could have had so little
confidence in him, as not to inform him of the straits to
which the community was reduced. Fr. Luiset was at a
loss for a reply :-a few moments howt;ver, cleared up the
mystery ; the fears of the good Bishop were dispelled, and
had he sat down with the community at the next meal, he
would have been convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt,
of the want of foundation of the rumor, and seen, to·his
great satisfaction, that, owing to the charity of their friends,
they were far from starving. Many more must have been
the trials of paternal solicitude on the part of Monseigneur,
and many too the pleasing incidents that occurred, during
the year, when the quiet occupation of the Jesuit novices
ran side by side with the already busy life of the future
magistrate-church and state in such close and harmonious
relations ;-but, owing to our distance from the source of
information, we are forced to leave the record of these facts,
as well as· the lzcroic days of our college of St. Mary's, in
Montreal, to some of our more favored brothers of the
North.* We, ourselves, however, still love to remember
--------------- ----· ---·
*A little anecdote has been related to us, the artless simplicity
of which is too charming to be lost. "Shortly after breakfast every day
during the summer months," says one of the novices of those times, now
a venerable Father, "the bell was rung for ·~Ianualia,' and at once we
three novices repaired to our little garden, to dig potatoes for the community dinner. The task was almost Herculean, for the good brother
charged with planting the potatoes had a favorite theory, based on what
principle of horticulture he never told us, that the deeper they were sunk
into the ground, the more plentiful would be the crop. Accordingly he
had procured a stout pole, about six feet long, and, applying it somewhat
�New .Fori mzd Canada 111ission.
with what fatherly affection the venerable Mr. Rodie.r wel-·
corned to his bountiful table, only a few years ago, all the
novices from the Sault-au-Recollet; with what pleasure he
spoke of the days when his house was our only novitiate,
and assured us, with tears in his eyes, that they were the
happiest of his life. May the eternal Father repay his
charity a hundred fold:
The stranger and the poor by God are sent
And what to these we give, to God is lent.*
That hejl:ts so loving and devoted as those of our generous friends really were, should crowd around the cradle
of the Canada Mission, when, without them, it could not
after the manner of a modern pile-dliver, had succeeded in burying the
forlorn seedling as far out of sight as possible; trusting perhaps that
their proximity to the central fires of the earth would keep them from
freezing, should Spring, as was sometimes the cnse in those regions, prove
rather backward; and the ice in the ot. Lawrence refuse to forsake its
adopted home till Summer was on its heels.
"The good brother took great delight in superintending the labors of
the poor novices, and pointing out the. exact spot in which his novel implement of husbandry had descended; and when any of us, having dug a
ditch some three feet in depth and two in width without even the sign of
a potato, would turn to him in despair, and, pointing to the small mounlain beside us, monument of our labor, ask imploringly, 'how much farther down?' he would deliberately gauge, 'with his eye, the heap of clay
at his feet, and then, in his mpst soothing voice reply, that we must be
near them now; they could not be more than two feet deeper.
"Under such circumstances, you may imagine how great. was our delight to see, on the other side of the low rail fence that divided the garden, good l\Ir. Rodier coming into his orchard. We were not disappointed:
the first thing our kind neighbor \\ould do, would be to shake down
some of the largest and ripest apples that hung on his trees; then, leaning for a few seconds on our fence, he would exclaim: 'Pauvres freres,
pam-res freres!. Here, my children, you mu~t be tired by this time; you
have dug enough for this morning;' and with these words he would toss
us the rosy-cheeked fruits. Oh ! how pretty they looked, in comparison
*Homer says:
lip?,:; rrl.p JCt):; dtr" ff.rra~n:;
So:i~IH ... rrrwzo{ re.
Odys. VI. 208.
.,
�. New York and Canada llfission.
have long survived its birth, was owing, no doubt, in great
measure, to the prayers of the saintly men who, at this
time, successively filled the office of Master of Novices.
The line began with F?-ther Luiset, already mentioned, who,
in fact, may be said to have taken actual possession of Canada in the name of the Society. In 1843, on the feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus, the very day after his arrival at
l\Iontreal with some other Fathers from France, he preached,
at the invitation of Monseigneur Bourget, in the grand
cathedral, since destroyed by fire. He chose for his text
the words of St. Paul; "In nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur, coelestium, terrestrium, et infernorum" (Phil. 2. 10.),
and, by the strain after strain of fervid eloquence which he
poured forth on the glories of the Redeemer, completely
won the hearts of his vast audience.
The knowledge of Christ, and Him crucified, which the
zealous missionary had unfolded to his hearers in the pop·
ulous city, he aftenvards diffused through the. villages and
hamlets for miles around, with so much unction and vigor as
to electrify those who came within reach of his burning
words, and to cause all, priests and laity, actually to clamor
for the entrance of the Fathers into their parishes.
From his apostolic journeys, in which he had scattered
broadcast over an extensive portion of the Lord's vineyard,
the fertile seed of the Divine Word. he returned to the
secluded garden where bloomed the Almighty's flowers of
predilection ; to the care of these, few though they were,
·he devoted his unwearied attention. To his novices, Father
with the spectral potatoes that had been haunting our minds so long.
Fr. l'tlaster allowed us 'Deo Gratias,' and had given general permission
to eat whatever Mr. Rodier might think proper to offer. The good
brother was the only one that seemed crest-fallen at our leaving off when
bushels of potatoes were so near. To console him, we would otfer, with
generous magnanimity, to the author of our woes, a share in our good
fortunes; asking, in return, only one thing, that next Spring, when about
to plant his potatoes, he would use a somewhat shorter pole for a spade.''
�New York and Canada Jlfissio!!.
Luiset displayed the same image of the Redeemer, that ne
had exhibited in the cities and the villages, and, as they
were called to the perfect imitation of the divine l\'lodel, he
descended into every detail, and showed by his solid conferences, and by the example of his daily life, how the
spirit of the cross was to actuate their every thought, word
and deed.
But nothing, perhaps, proved more conclusively that
what he had so long preached was really from the abundance of th~ heart, and that the cross had struck deep roots
therein, !:ha~·his edifying conduct under the terrible affiiction
which, during the third year of his office as Master of
Novices, God was pleased to send him. An operation
performed by a celebrated oculist for the cure of some
slight ailment of his eyes, resulted in total blindness for
the rest of his life. This severe trial, far from wringing
from him the least complaint, only caused him to ·exclaim with ,patient Job: "If we have received good
things at the hand of God, why should we not receive
evil?" (job. 2. 10.) He did not even yield to the subtile
temptation that he would thenceforth be less able to work
for God's glory, but assured that
"God doth not ne&l-·
Either man's works, or His own gifts; who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best,"*
he reposed with such perfect resignation on the divine will,
that, though frequently pressed to make a novena for the
recovery of his sight, he constantly refused, saying: "It is·
God's holy will I should be blind, and God's will is mine."
The truth was, he scarcely looked upon his affiiction as an
evil at all, and, charmed at being no longer disturbed by
the sight of created things, he centred his gaze more stead-·
ily than ever on the Creator, and drank in with' fewer
distractions the vision of his God.
*Milton. Ode on his blindness.
�Nr.v York and Canada llfission.
195
But if the bodies of men had vanished, with the whole
visible world, forever from his sight, their souls still appeared to him of priceless value, and such was his zeal t<?
rescue these from Satan's power, that he easily overcame
all the obstacles his blindness placed in his way. At the conclusion of his three years as Master of Novices, he was sent
to Quebec, where he preached with his wonted fire. Such
was his conviction of the responsibility of this apostolic
duty, that he delivered no sermons but such as he had carefully written out before, and which he still remembered, or
had read to him before ascending the pulpit. The clear
sequence of ideas that runs through these sermons, some
of which are still extant, the striking reflections they embody, and the beautiful language in which they are expressed, prove the thoughtful care and labor expended on
their composition ; while the glow of divine love that animates the whole, shows the man of prayer clothed with
the learning of the scholar and the eloquence of the orator.
However, to do good to souls then, he no longer needed
such preparation ; for he had already preached most forcibly even before uttering one word of his prepared sermon,
and all hearts were deeply moved by beholding the zealous old man still so vigorous, but obliged to be led by
the hand to the foot of the pulpit, then slowly groping his
way up the steps, and finally turning his sightless eyes on
his audience, hushed in the deepest attention: no more
efficacious exhortation could be given-to rejoice in the
midst of affliction, and to kiss the hand that chastiseth.
After a year spent in Quebec he returned to the novitiate,
in the capacity of Socius of the Master of Novices, anu
prevented from ascending the pulpit, as his superiors judged
it better for him not to preach any more by word of mouth,
his zeal sought an outlet in his assiduous attendance in the
confessional. His exactness to follow in this, as in all other
respects, the least prescription of our holy rules, nay what
he considered to be their spirit, even when the letter was
�rg6
~:
NeuJ York and Canada 11fissi(m.
silent amounted almost to scruple, and gave nse to the
following amusing incident:
It was Fr. Luiset's custom to be at his post especially
about 6 o'clock in the evening to receive men on their
return from \Vork. In summer, of course, it was light at
that hour, but as winter came on, knowing it must then be
getting dark he called one of the novices and bade him
place a candle near the confessional, saying it was not
becoming for one of ours to hear anyone's confession, in
his room, after nightfall without a light. The young religious not quite yet as blind in his obedience, as the good
father in his sight, was at a loss how to apply this to the
case of the exact servant of God, and fearing some accident
from fire, ran off in haste, as a true novice, to unbosom
himself in his perplexity to Father Master. His spiritucrl
Father smiling told him he might get the candle, take 'it
unlit to the father's room and retire. The good novice did
as directed and was leaving the room, when to his surprise,
Fr. Luiset solemnly said: "Bring hither the candle and put
it beside me." Prompt obedience this time on the part of
the novice, but still with a vague fear for the consequences.
And well he might fear; for the precise old man, taking
hold of the candlestick, deliberately _ran his hand along the
·candle towards the wick. Fain wo~ld the trembling novice
have lighted the taper, even at the eleventh hour ; but the
eleventh hour unfortunately was a very short one :-it was
already over; Fr. Luiset had reached the top, and feeling
no heat, turned sharply around on this remorse-stricken
culprit and exclaimed with all his animation: "What!
brother, is it possible you wish to deceive me! Have you
no more respect for our holy rules?" The speechless novice
suddenly felt as if he would just then like to unbosom
himself again to Father Master and, with all possible haste,
flung out of. the room.
Fr. Luiset's unbounded respect for even the least rule,
naturally led . him to observe with extraordinary precision
�New York and Canada Mzssi{m.
that continual mortification in all things, and that application to spiritual pursuits on which St. Ignatius so repeatedly
insists. That this mortification extended itself to his refreshment of the body, and that even at his meals his
spirit was far away from the earthly objects around him,
the same novice had daily occasion to witness. Instead of
going through some of the usual "experimenta" of our
novitiates (which circumstances then rendered impossible)
he was appointed to bring the blind father his breakfast,
and help him to what he might need. Whether the novice
still felt a little chafed on the subject of the father's scrupulous
exactitude, and was anxious to overcome a too natural impulse by a generous revenge, or whether, in reading the
life of St. Ignatius, he had been more struck by that part
which narrates the guileless tricks of Fr. Ribadineira on
our Holy Founder, than by some other portions of the same
life, we dare not decide; but certain it is that he observed
with surprise how Fr. Luiset had prescribed to himself a
very limited amount of daily food, and that this limit he
never overstepped. The abstemious religious would cut the
small slice of dry bread handed to him, into five or six still
smaller squares, and then, seated at some distance from the
table, would alternately, with one hand slowly raise to his
mouth a spoonful of coffee, and with the other one of the
morsels of bread : while, at each mouthful, he would turn
his countenance towards heaven, whence every good gift
descends. the charitable attendant thought with dismay on
the sorry plight to which his own young fibres and ardent
spirits would soon be reduced if allowed only so scanty a
supply of "nitrogenous aliments ;" and, convinced that
such lenten diet was utterly insufficient to repair the daily
waste of bone and sinew in the blind but vehement old man,
he s~ far presumed on his charge's infirmity as, the moment
one mouthful of bread disappeared; quietly to replace it by
another, and as the coffee gradually diminished in the cup,
noiselessly to pour in some more.
�198
i.-
J.Vc-& York and Canada fi,fission.
The unsuspecting Father, who was always very exact in
eating whatever he had cut for himself, and sipping his
coffee, spoonful after spoonful, till all was gone, kept on at
his meal, as usual, wholly occupied with other thoughts.
Perhaps even then he was reflecting on the miraculous
multiplication of the loaves and fishes; but if so, his mind
was so intent on the goodness of God in this miracle as to
take no notice of the present multiplication of bread and
coffee, by which he was, so unwittingly, being benefitted.
At last, however, through sheer fatigue at raising the spoon
to his lips· ~o much oftener than usual, he turned quietly to
his kind-hearted attendant, and remarked : "Cette tasse est
bien grande, mon frere." The novice did not attempt to
deny the fact, but was warned by this how far he could go
in his charitable fraud without awakening suspicion : and
so frequently did he ever after (with permission of the
Master of Novices) regulate his perpetual miracle, that he
had time to see the poor blind Father actually thriving
under his treatment.
Father Luiset continued to edify the Novices by his
exact observance of the rules, and his spirit of mortification
till his death in 1855, at the age of 67.
The second equally saintly man to whose prayers and
holy life the early days of the Cai-Iada Mission owed so
many heavenly blessings was Father George Schneider,
who had succeeded Fr. Luiset as Master of Novices, in
1848. Unable, for want of space, to dwell at ·any length
on the life of this fervent religious, we give, in a word, its
correct epitome when we say that it was one continued act
of devotion to St. Joseph, and of unbounded confidence in
this holy Patriarch, repaid by countless favors of all kinds.
\Vere we deficient in example to prove that St.Joseph is
the same as in the past to those that fly to him, the example of .this devout Father alone would be sufficient.
. He first entrusted to this holy Patriarch the care of the
whole house, even down to the pantry itself; and from the
�l'lcw York and Canada .3lission.
199
manner in which the faithful steward discharged this last
part of his commission we may judge how he fulfilled the
rest. Occasionally indeed instead of the expected sound
of the breakfast-bell the silvery voice of Fr. Schneider
would greet the ears of the novices, as he stepped into their
room, and told them, with a smile, that although they had
not yet taken a vow of poverty, the Almighty was pleased
to try them a little on the score of that virtue even then ;
that they would have to wait a while for breakfast, as there
was not a mouthful to eat in the house: but that it would
not be long ; St. Joseph had never failed them yet. On
such occasions, the good novices were only too glad to
suffer something in view of their future vow, and with
perhaps a short invocation to St. Joseph that he would not
tary too long, cheerfully resumed their mental repast, while
awaiting that which was to refresh the body. Fr. Schneider
had spoken truly: they had not to wait long; for never, no,
not once, during all the years he was Master of Novices,
did an hour pass ere in came from some one, often they
knew not from whom, a supply of provision sufficient for
the community.
Having thus secured, forever, food for his novices, the
next step was to procure novices. Fr. Schneider had seen
with deep concern how few vocations had as yet developed,
since the arrival of the Fathers in Montreal, and looking
with anxiety to the future, he referred the matter to his
heavenly counsellor. The result was a recommendation to
the novices to unite with Fr. Master, during the nine days
preceding the feast of St. Joseph, in a fervent novena for
the obtaining of new members. The effect of this appeal
to the holy Patriarch was almost miraculous; for whereas,
previously, only two or three scholastic novices had been
received each year, after the novena four or five begged
admittance into the Society before the month was over, 'and
during the following month the numbe~ ran up to eight.
Ever since then the novitiate has received a very fair yearly
�200
;I
New York a11d Ca11ada Jlfission.
increase, and of late years, after a general novena to· the
same heavenly Procurator, made by order of Rev. Father
Bapst, in all the houses of the mission, a most extraordinary supply of new members.
Fr. Schneider knowing that he was far from having exhausted St. Joseph's liberality, was, on his part, far from
desisting in his petitions. He had obtained food and subjects; there was still wanting a novitiate. To build this he
had not a single dollar, and, moreover, knew not where to
find one;··; but his generous Treasurer knew where they
could be~had in abundance. Permission to begin the building had been refused until enough money had been collected
to cover all expenses. Fr. Schneider starts for Quebec, on a
mission of some weeks' duration; returns at the end of that
time with the required amount. The year 1853 saw the
completion of the large Novitiate at Sault-au-Recollet,
about eight miles from Montreal; and Father Schneider,
through gratitude towards its heavenly Founder, and to
se~ure its future prosperity, placed it under his invocation.
The novices had about a year before left the home where
they had been so charitably sheltered for so many years,
and, calling down many blessings upon their benefactors, taken up their abode in St. Mary's College, which had
been in successful operation since Sept. 20th, i848. Now
that their own home was ready to receive them, they repaired with joy from the crowded city to their peaceful
retreat amid the fields.
These favors, great though they were, were far from being all that Fr. Schneider owed to his glorious Patron. The
devout religious saw with deep grief the seminary of some
Protestant sect just in front of our first novitiate, and remarked that it was a pity to have the work of Satan in such
close proximity to the work of God. He complained of it
to St. Joseph, during the month of March, the period of
the year when all his special requests were made; the month
was hardly over, when the building was sold, at a great
�1Vcw York and Canada iliission.
201
bargain to the Catholics, and became St. Patrick's Hospital.
In later years, he set his heart on obtaining a certain piece
of ground, near our College in Montreal, to build thereon
a church in honor of the Sacred Heart. He prayed to St.
Joseph, and that very piece of ground was presented to him
by one of our kind benefactors. He often had obdurate
sinners to convert: he entrusted their conversion to St.
Joseph, and such was his certainty of success that, on one
occasion, speaking of one of them, he exclaimed with sudden animation: "He is mine to-night."
.
This short account of. Fr. Schneider's deve>tion to St.
Joseph and of a few of the favors with which it was rewarded, forestalls all necessity of adding a word about
his sanctity. St Theresa tells us in her autobiography, that
she never knew anyone \Vho had a true devotion to St.
Joseph, who was not advanced by it in virtue. Now if such
be the case, ;.s it most undoubtedly is, we may easily imagine what a height of perfection Father Schneider attained,
when his whole life was impregnated with so constant and
so filial a devotion to the foster father of Sanctity itself. ·
St. Joseph who had been his consoler in life, smoothed_
likewise his passage to eternity: and Fr. Schneider's death·
in r868 was, like that of the Faithful Servant himself, the
bright dawn of eternal day.
Not to sever the cord of triple strand, of charity on the
one side, and of zeal and gratitude on the other, that linked
the early days of the Canada Mission one with the other,
and bound them all to Rev. Father Chazelle, we have considerably outrun our dates. When most of these results
just described were actually realized, this indefatigable laborer had already been called to his rest. He had returned
to Kentucky, in October, 1839, and was, the following
year, succeeded in his double office of Superior and President of St. Mary's by Rev. Fr. vV. Murphy. Soon afterwards
he departed on matters of business for Rome, and returned
again to the country of his adoption as Superior of the
�New York and Canada 11/isszim.
little band of· missionaries, including Fathers Tellier. F.
Martin, D. Duranquet, Luiset and three lay brothers, which.
at the request of 1\Igr. Bourget left Europe in 1842 for the
Canada branch of our mission, and was occupied, prior to
the erection of St. Mary's College, in our residence of the
Assumption at Sandwich, and of St. Francis Xavier, at La
Prairie.
As Rev. Father Chazelle Iiow ceases to figure in our
sketch, we .cannot dismiss his name without a few words on
the death of this saintly religious, the father of our mission.
In the Summer of 1845, Very Rev. Fr. Boulanger, and his
companion, Rev. Fr. Hus, extended the:r visit to the Indian
Missions of Upper Canada.
The good missionaries in these regions, deprived in
great measure of the community-life o_f the Society, and
almost perfect strangers to those family joys it knows so
well how to foster, had looked forward with unbounded
delight to this visit, as to the dawn of a new era for their
apostolic labors. A letter written some mont~s later by
Fr. P. Point, says that when they actually saw among them
these representatives of the head of the Society, they gave
themselves up unreservedly to the j<;>ys of the present and
hopes of the future. But it adds: "Will not, perhaps these
last prove an illusion? For we are not wont, we children
of St. Ignatius, long to bask in the sunshine." The good
Father was right in his apprehensions, and this very letter
was to bring to V. R. F. Boulanger the first news of the
sickness and death of him on whom most of their hopes
for the future were based.
At the conclusion of the visit it was determined to push
the labors of the Society more to the North-West, and
revive if possible the old settlements of our first Fathers in
the vic_inity of Sault Ste. Marie. Fr. Chazelle was deputed
to visit that part of the country, and to decide on the possibility of founding a residence there to be the nucleus of
future missionary labors through the surrounding country.
�New York and Cauada llfission.
203
On the 8th of August, full of joy at the prospect of
opening a new field for God's glory, Fr. Chazelle started
for Detroit, where he was to take the steamboat for Mackinaw, and there find another which would carry him to the
Sault. Having arrived at Mackinaw, he found no vessel
ready to start, so he travelled on as far as Green Bay, to see
if it might not be possible to start a permanent residence
among the t~ibes bordering on the Riviere du Loup-a river
along which, almost two hundred years before, Fr. Marquette had travelled in the voyage which led to the discovery of the Mississippi. The very day after his arrival at
Green Bay, Fr. Chazelle had a slight attackof fever, which
increased to such an extent that, shortly after, he was forced
to take to his bed. ·while in this state of suffering, he
heard that a steamboat was on the point of starting for
Mackinaw. At this news it was impossible to keep him
back :-sick as he was, he literally leaped from his bed into
the saddle, and hastened towards the wharf. But God, for
whose glory he sought these new fatigues, was satisfied
with his good will; and the same loving Master who, years
before, in Kentucky, had sent him forth on an errand of
charity that he might not be an eye-witness of the calamity
that was to befall his flock, this time, with like fatherly
providence, prevented his setting out; lest, as his end wa,;
approaching, he who had been an angel of consolation at
so many death-beds, should himself die where he must
needs be deprived of the last consolations of his religion.
Despite all his haste, Father Chazelle learned to his sorrow, that he was too late; the boat had already started,
and he had no alternative but to retrace his steps. Once
more at the house, he again sank under his illness, now,
owing, perhaps, to the excitement his late effort had caused,
more violent than before. In the midst of his acute pains,
as if to gain strength from the example of his suffering
mother, he often reverted to the Society and its recent trials
in Europe. It was in the same spirit in which, about a
�204
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1Vczu York and Canada Jfission. ·
month before, hearing of new persecutions excited against
us by the English Government, he had cried out with sudden enthusiasm: \Vicked men that they are; they wish to
kill my mother!
.
The missionary priest of Green Bay attended him in his
sickness, and despairing of his recovery, administered to
him the last sacraments. Almost immediately the holy
religious fell into a protracted agony which ended only with
his life, four days later,.Sept. 4th, I 845. He was fifty-six
years old, and had been twenty-three years in the Society.
The Indians, for whom he was planning works fraught
with so much good, carried his remains to an humble resting place in the quiet cemetery near "The Fathers' Rapids."
This place belonged of old to the missionaries of the Society in these. regions ; and it was a strange contrast to the
"long, long views" of poor devising man, that he who hoped
to revive these once flourishing missions, and instil new life
into these neglected works, should expose himself to numberless dangers and fatigues, and arrive on the spot, only
to be received, he too, as they had been, into the arms of
all-absorbing death. It is indeed the same contrast as is
exhibited in man's very nature:
"An heir to glory: a frail chilli of dust."
But Father Chazelle had now ceased t~ be the frail chitd of
dust, and had entered on his inheritance of glory.
\Vorthy brother of St. Francis Xavier, \Vhose burning
zeal seemed, in him, to live again, he died, as his holy predecessor, far away from his brethren, with none but strangers to receive his last sigh, and with his eyes turned
yearningly towards the fields he had already in spirit conquered for Christ. These indeed were kindred spirits, "one
in willing and in not willing the same ;" and the voice that
called away the pure soul of Father Chazelle, was that of
the loving Master of both, about to give to beings such as
they, o'ne in spirit, one abode.
(To be continued.)
�. A VISIT TO CHICAGO.
FLORISSANT, MARCH 28th, I 87J.
REv. DEAR FAT HER :
P. C.
On Tuesday, the I8th inst., I reached Chicago, by the
Illinois Central · R. R., whose depot is on the lake, in the
heart of the lately burned district. I was rather surprised
not to see around me that bleak charred plain, of which so
much was said and written after last year's terrible conflagration. As I walked up to State street, and rode in the
street cars along State and Madison streets, I saw, it is true,
some empty spots and remnants of fires; but nearly all the
houses had been rebuilt for miles around, and that on a
grander scale and in a more elegant style than before. I had
heard much of the enterprise of the Chicago people, but
of such work, as I saw had been done here, I never had
had any conception. · It is not my purpose to give a sketch
of the wordly, but of the spiritual life of this great city.
Still I may say that such buildings as are rare beauties in
rival \Vestern cities, stand here in long rows along entire
squares, all the rapid growth of the last twelve months,
and still substantial five and six story edifices, with richly
wrought and handsomely adorned fronts. No wonder the
inhabitants are said to be getting prouder of their city than
ever.
I arrived at our Church in the Western part of the city,
about 8 Yz, A. M., and from that moment have not ceased
to wonder and rejoice at the rich harvest, which is here
being gathered in for the granaries of our dear Lord. Our
Fathers and Brethren of Chicago will, I hope, excuse me
�zo6
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A Visit to C!ticago.
if I reveal some glimpse of the spiritual treasures which
they are so laboriously hoarding up, and which their modesty
or want of leisure, or both, keep from the knowledge of
others. It must be remembered that, sixteen years ago,
Chicago did not yet figure in the catalogue of our province,
Soon after a residence was founded, and thus all that is the
the subject of edification here is the work of a few years.
vVhen I reached our Church on 12th street, near Blue
Island Avenue, the last l\Iass was just over: though a common week day, a large congregation was pouring from the
capacious-basement, where minor services are held in winter. The Church itself is a noble structure, the finest I
have seen in America. It is 214 ft. long by 73 with a
transept of 120, interior height 100 ft. Some twelve years
ago, one of our most esteemed Fathers remarked of it: "A
magnificent Church, but standing in the wilderness-Vox
clamantis in deserto"; and such it was. It had been built
in the prairie, some miles away from what was then Chicago.
But its pastor and builder had rightly understood the place
ana its prospects ; Catholics soon flocked around the new
Church, purchased small and cheap lots, and built modest
dwellings. Many of these settlers owe their sober habits,
as well as their temporal prosperity, entirely to the exertions of their zealous pastors. Froni the beginning, schools
were established, the families frequently visited, and various
societies organized. Soon the ladies of the Sacred Heart
were induced to build a convent in the parish, and, besides
their Academy for boarders and day scholars, to open a
school for the parish children. About ten years ago a fire
consumed the boys' school next to the Church. It was a
master-stroke of Providence. Advantage was taken of this
by the energetic pastor to build a splendid school, which
the city common schools should look up to with envy.
Meanwhile the parish spread rapidly. When I visited Chicago four years ago, the Church, seen from the top of the
Court House; looked to me like a huge elephant standing
�A Visit to C!ticago.
207
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in the midst of a countless herd of sheep. T\VO stations
had been opened for schools, and one for Sunday service,
in remote parts of the parish. A second sisterhood had
been called in to aid in the education of the girls. Having
seen all this formerly, I was prepared to be much edified at
what I was going once more to behold. But I was not
prepared to witness the progress since made. The very
first scene delighted me. There stood before me not only
that huge Church, but, next to it, a College newly built,
by the side of which the Church looked like a dwarf. The
photographed pictures of the College are far from doing
justice to the magnificence of its front. The cordial reception, which greeted me at the threshold, made me feel once
again, what I had often experienced before, that for one
home left in the world, we have gained many in religion. I hastened to offer up the holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
when a new surprise delighted me. Though the morning was
advanced, and all the services were over, I found a respectable congregation at once gathered before the altar, such as I
could not help reflecting I could not meet on many a winter
$unday, at the two Masses of the little country Church, in
which I exercised the ministry. Most justly it is said, "Amat
magnas Ignatius urbes." On the next day, the feast of St.
Joseph, holy communions were plentiful, but as I did not
intend then to write this account, I did not take the trouble
of inquiring how many. That night at 7 ~,there was a congregation of probably some fourteen hundred people to
hear the praises of St. Joseph and receive the Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament. On Friday night a much larger
congregation still assisted at the Way of the Cross.
These are nearly all working people, who, after the fatigue
of a busy day, (such as business is in Chicago, where every
vehicle and every pedestrian hurries along as if the city
were still on fire) can be gathered at any time, and to any
number for devotional services in their beloved Church.
In fact, every day had its own edifying sights.
�208
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A Visit
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Chicago.
It would make this sketch unreasonably long were I to
attempt a description of this Church's interior decorations.
In fact, though I spent a long time in it, I did not see all ;
it would take several hours to explore all its beauties. Its
high altar is magnificent, in its ornaments, and in symmetry with the entire edifice. Every stained window with
its varied figures and designs, every confessional with its
appropriately carved emblems and statues, the new stations
of the "via crucis," the pulpit, nay every carved panel
of !:he communion railing with its suggestive devices, might
furnish stibjects for separate comment. Large as the buildding was at first, it has had to be extended already by the
addition of 40 feet to the front. Above the entrance is a
gallery as capacious as many a city church, and above this
is the organ-loft with that superb organ, the largest church
organ in the United States, which it had been the noble
ambition of our much-lamented Fr. Smarius, and the object
of his zealous exertions during the last years of his life
to ~rect to the honor of God ;-that, when his own eloquent
voice should no longer send its thunders through the arches
of the vast building, and charm the ears of a delighted
audience, the organ might take up and prolong the strain
of praise unto distant generations,_: He did not live to hear
ther:ch music issue from its wilderness of pipes; but the
first time they sent forth the tones of requiem, was at a
funeral Mass for the repose of his departed spirit.
I had taken the leisure time of one afternoon to examine
the Church; that of another afternoon was devoted to see
the College. Its interior division of rooms and halls does
not appear to be so happy and appropriate as it is liberal
and grand. But other objects of observation were most
gratifying and surprising. Though less than three years
has elapsed since the College was built and opened, it
counts already over 170 pupils and bids fair to count four
or fi~e hundred in a few years more. About one third of
these boys come from the parochial school, which serves
�A Visit to Clzicago.
the purpose of a preparatory course to the College; all
but a dozen are Catholics, and that not in name only, but
in spirit also. The institution is already provided with a
very large and select library and a very valuable collection
of minerals, the finest I have ever seen in any of our Colleges. As good Father Smarius procured the organ, so
.another of the zealous missionaries, who is passionately
fond of natural history, never retur~s from his excursions
without bringing along some trunks full of the choicest
specimens.-But it was on Sunday my enthusiasm of joy
.and admiration reached its height. I will not speak of
numerous congregations crowding the Church every hour
of the morning, as in many other Catholic churches; but
only mention what is peculiar and that briefly. At 7 o'clock,
A. M., the drum and fife were heard, and a band of young
musicians was seen marching from the school-house to the
Church, at the head of a procession of some three hundred
boys. The drums were deposited near the side altar, and
.all the boys received holy communion. We were three
priests distributing holy communion at that mass, and I
was tired when it was over. The Church was crowded and
at the same time another congregation was hearing Mass
in the basement. Every Sunday has some sodality or other
at communion. That of the married men counts five hun-:
dred members, that of the women three hundred; there is
one of young men lately started, and counting already
about one hundred and fifty, another of young ladies, I
believe, three hundred. On the Sunday of my visit some
twelve hundred sacred hosts were distributed though there
had been many communions on St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's days, during the. foregoing week. At 9 o'clock I
saw about eight hundred girls at Mass in the Convent of
the Sisters of Charity, who have one of the parish schools.
The pupils booked this year amount to over a thousandabout seven hundred and fifty in daily attendance. There
are seven hundred and eighty at the parish school of the
�2IO
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A Visit to Chicago:
Ladies of the Sacred Heart, besides seventy boarders and
fifty day scholars of their Academy. The boys amount to
twenty-one hundred, besides the College students, daily
attendance being between sixteen and eighteen hundred.
I saw some thirteen hundred of them at Mass, and listened
to the instruction given them. It was an explanation of
the catechism well adapted to their youthful minds.ln the afternoon there were the various Sunday schools.
To attract pupils to these, there are three different paper:;
published~ by the Sunday School B0ard, viz., two monthlies and cine bi-monthly, so that every Sunday a paper is
given gratis to all who come in time ; where more than one
child belongs to the same family, pictures are given to the
younger ones. That day about .twenty-six hundred papers
were thus given out. The usual number distributed each
month is deven thousand. During the week twenty secular teachers are employed in the boys' school alone, five
men and fifteen women. \Vhence comes the money to pay
all these, and to support the sisterhood, and furnish the
publications ? Every school is self-supporting : there are
no poor schools, and still all the poor children are received,
and treated exactly like the other~. This is one of the
chief sources of success. The -sc,hools are thus made
respectable; in fact they are far ahead of the common
schools· of the neighborhood, whose class rooms are partly
. vacant. Another source of success is the incomparable
tact and indefatigable industry of the one Father and one
Brother who manage all these schools and edit the three
periodicals mentioned. Their industry is admirably imitated by the Sisters, who educate the female portion. If
the boys march in the procession with military bands and
uniforms, the varied scarf<> and endless lines of the girls
delight parents and strangers, and an enthusiasm for the
schools, which seems to be peculiar to the Chicago people, has thus been produced and supported for years and
years; it must be witnessed to be fully appreciated. What
�A Visit to C!ticago.
211
the two just mentioned are doing for the parish schools,
others of our members are accomplishing for the new College, others for the sodalities of the parish, and others on
the missions. Every one has a wide field for his zeal ; five
Fathers would at once find more work than they could
attend to; in fact, the calls for laborers would be indefinite.
But I find, dear Father, that if I were to describe all that
consoled me at Chicago, my letter too would run to an indefinite length. It is too long already, and still I have not
yet described the branch schools for boys and· for girls
established in two remote parts of the parish, nor the
Church of St. Stanislaus, similarly situated and till lately
used for Sunday service alone. But now two Fathers have
taken up their residence there. By taking in galleries and
school rooms, this Church has been made capable of· receiving many hundreds, and yet it is so crowded on Sundays, passages and stairs-cases and school yard included,
that, as one of the sisters quaintly remarked to me, there
is no use for a lady to faint, she cannot be taken out anyhow. This Summer a large Church is to be built there,
with a basement fourteen feet high, a"ud extending the
whole length of the edifice so as to furnish two Churches at
once.
As I am only relating a visit I need not speak of the
missionaries whose base of operations is at Chicago. A
letter, which arrived while I was there, announced to Father
Rector the happy conclusion of a mission at Scranton with
twelve thousand communi'Ons, nineteen converts, two hundred adult first communicants, etc., but I found it was
scarcely minded, such items being commonplace there.
All these gratifying works of salvation are of course
performed by many hands. But there is one man, who has
been constantly the soul and heart of this vigorous
body of laborers, whose name is written in the hearts,
not only of all his thousands of parishioners, but of
�2IZ
Brazil.
many more. thousands of the faithful scattered over this
wide country. I need not add that it is likewise written in the hearts of his loving brethren.
I remain,
Rev. Dear Father,
Respectfully yours in the S. Heart.
C. C., S. J.
BRAZIL-MISSION OF FORTALEZA.
EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF FR. ONORATL
FoRTALEZA, JuNE 3rd, 1872.
After conferertces at Fortaleza during the whole month of
Apri~ I was requested by the Bishop to conduct the exercises of May. I soon learned that the devotions of that
month were very popular here, for not only do they take
place in the Churches, but also with much fervor even in'
families. Nevertheless they seldom.."amount to more than
a sermon, some hymns, and the customary fireworks. I
was told, however, that for three years past the Bishop had
forbidden the usual devotion at the Cathedral, on account
of scandal arising from the conduct of some young libertines, who choose this occasion for the profanation of the
holy place. This news rather cooled my ardor, the more
so as the Bishop's previous kindness led me to think that he
had concealed the difficulties out of pure condescension ..
I had almost concluded to quit Fortaleza, and, seeing how
matters stood, I deemed it advisable to cancel the engagement I ?ad made to remain for the month of Mary ; but
the Vicar General insisted that the people relied upon me
�Brazil.
213
to preach, that the singers were ready, that our fears were
exaggerated and that it would be a pity to disappoint the
congregation. My doubts were renewed: still all this parley brought us to the month of May, and, as I was forced
to await the arrival of a steamer, I began the instructions.
From the- very first day the Church was crowded, the
majority of the congregation being men, and this, too,
while similar exercises were going on in the other Churches,
colleges and religious institutions. At the Cathedral all
went on well. During the first week, indeed, I heard some
complaints, but, upon inquiring into the matter myself, I
was happy to find that the faults committed were not
grievous, and, better still, that they were not nun:terous.
As I conducted the exercises according to Fr. Muzzarelli's
method, I waited till the meditation on scandals ; then I
inveighed against the profanation of Churches with all the
vehemence of which I was capable, saying whatever zealous indignation suggested. It would not have been surprising had they stoned me after the sermon; but nothing
of the kind happened. I obtained what I desired, and,
without any falling off in the number of hearers, greater
decorum was observed. I was desirous of preaching to
the free-masons during this month, so as to lead them to
confession ; but no one at all came to confession the first
week, not even the women. Then to obtain the· desired
effect, I thought of disposing the meditations more in accordance with the exercises of St. Ignatius. What admirable graces are attached to the exercises! the meditations upon Confession and Hell roused even many freemasons from their torpor; and from that time forward I
was so incessantly occupied in the confessional, that, till
the end of the month, I had scarcely a moment of repose
night or day.
I must not omit to mention the consolation I experienced
in the spirit and conduct of my penitents. The month of
Mary produced great fruit among the free-masons. I have
�214
Bra:::il.
heard the confessions of many, some of whom were of a
high grade, as was clear from the diplomas !hey handed
me. One of the newspapers, a most impious sheet, contained long articles ridiculing those who had been caught
in the Jesuit nets. I must not pass over an edifying fact
in this connection. The first of these advanced free-masons
gave me his diploma, which I conveyed under secret, as was
my duty, to the Bishop. A few days after I read in the abovementioned journal that the certificate in question had found
its way into the hands of the Bishop's Secretary. I was
very mucl;··troubled, fearing that some of the Bishop's
household had let out the secret; and as the convert attended all the May devotions regularly, I sought him
immediately and explained all the precautions I had taken
in the matter, as well as my astonishment at seeing the fact
made public. He grasped my hand and told me not to
mind it, because he took pleasure in being thus taunted.
Another free-mason, of a still higher grade, was if possible turned into still greater ridicule by the Cmrcnsc. He
had formerly been an apostle of free-masonry, now he dissuades others from joining by explaining to them the antiChristian machinations of the order, secrets with which he
was well acquainted, having once be~n proposed as Secretary of the Grand-Orimt. This man had not missed a
single one of my conferences and had proposed all his
doubts, out of confession, before solemnly renouncing the
sect.
Next to the free-masons, those who gave me most consolation were the pupils of the Lyceum and the Caixciros
(warehouse clerks). The. influence of this class in Brazil is
well known. The Bishop was more surprised. at the success
than anyone else, because they had gone so far as to insult
his Lordship in the public streets. They came in crowds
to me,:so that confessions of students and clerks became
proverbial in the whole city. These young people encouraged one another to approach the Holy Tribunal. They
�Brasil.
215
confessed and communicated separately and returned for
Corpus Christi. These are now our most intimate friends
and that for more than one reason, as you will soon see.
As the Blessed Virgin recompensed my labor and
fatigue with so much liberality, I proposed to have on
the feast of Corpus Christi something unknown in this
country-a general communion. Hearing too that no procession had taken place for some years, owing to want of
funds, I proposed from the pulpit to renew this act of
religion. I succeeded in both undertakings beyond my
expectations. More than one thousand of the faithful
received communion from the hands of the Bishop, and,
for greater convenience, about five hundred others communicated in other Churches. Altogether nearly three thousand received Holy Communion. A well-informed person
told me to-day that there were not so many Communions
in the whole city during the last ten years as in the Cathedral alone on Corpus Christi. Nearly all the recentlyconverted free-masons, many men of every rank, young
people and children, not excepting ·those who had but
lately made their first communion, and in fine a great number of ladies took part in this general communion. I
distributed as souvenirs of the month of Mary the prayer
of Fr. Zucchi to the Blessed Virgin, the prayer of St.
Aloysius, and the hymns of the month, in a Portuguese
translation. I had read them several days in succession,
and the people relished them so much, that many, to avoid
forgetting them, wrote whilst I was saying them, and others
came to ask me for tbem.
As to the procession of Corpus Christi, the President
of the Province was the first to lend his assistance and
contributed two thousand francs. This man came often to
the conferences and gave me much encouragement. He
ordered two battalions to accompany the procession, and
he himself with all the high functionaries joined in the
celebration with much display. But what proves how well
�216
Brazil.
my words were attended to is, that having mentioned the
European custom of strewing flowers on the streets and
decorating the houses (a thing never done here), nearly all
the private houses were adorned with hangings and the
streets strewed with flowers. On our return to the Church
I said a few words about the Holy Sacrament and retired;
I had not entered the Sacristy when I was informed that
the people were waiting for the exercises of the month of
May; and that if I did not intend to have the accustomed
devotions jt would be well to announce it from the pulpit.
The Church, nave and tribune, was filled with people; I
_judged at once that it would not be advisable to omit the
ordinary sermon. I hastened to the Bishop's house to get my
book, and on my return I had to wait half an hour for the
musicians. During the interval the happy thought occurred
to me of putting off the closing exercise until the following
Sunday. Besides I felt urged to recommend in the last discourse devotion to the Blessed Virgin and St. Aloysius, to
obtain for the people the virtue of purity, so difficult in
this country. I made the announcement, telling them that
I would for two days discourse on the Blessed Virgin, the
Patron of Chastity, and finish on the.following Sunday with
an act of consecration to our Holy .-Mother. My words
excited so much devotion towards St. Aloysius, that as
we had neither statue nor painting of this Saint, the Bishop
suggested that we might obtain from Messeggiana a statue
given by the old Society. I encouraged all the young men
to form in procession on the day assigned, recommending
likewise the whole population to give an honorable reception to their Patron ; and went myself for the statue, Messeggiana being two leagues from Fortaleza. I have today
informed the President of my plans, that he may take all
the precautions necessary for maintaining order. I hope
that St. Louis of Gonzaga will do much for the youth of
this city. The Bishop, whose name is Louis, had commenced a church in honor of his Patron, but, as it was too
�Brazil.
217
small, all the work so far done was thrown down and a larger
edifice begun. The President told me that the Architect
had finished the new plan and that the Government would
contribute 50,000 francs towards the erection of the new
building. To-day (4th of June) I went to Messeggiana,
where the Society formerly had a residence, to teach catechism to the Indians. The Church alone remains, the
house having been razed to the ground with a Vandalism
of which none but the partisans of Pombal could be guilty.
I have seen the statue of St. Louis of Gonzaga: but in
point of fact it is but the representation of St. Ignatius
with the head of a child. Imagine a Saint clothed in the
habit of the Society pointing with his right hand to an
open book which he holds in his left, and judge if that is
intended for a statue of St. Louis Gonzaga. Still the people
honor it all the same, and this statue will certainly be liked
by the young folks.
Another fruit of this month of Mary was the establishment of a society for Catholic instruction, proposed and in
part planned by mysel£ Its object is to advance in knowledge its own members as well as others ; and connected
with it will be a newspaper, a printing office and a private
library; a sermon and Benediction will be given for it in
the Cathedral every·Sunday. The Bishop is theDirector
of this association which was founded on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
(Another letter from Pernambuco completes the details
given in the preceding.)
PERNAMBuco, JuNE 22nd, 1872.
Fr. Onorati writes to tell us how he succeeded in conveying the statue of St. Aloysius from Messeggiana to Fortaleza. The inhabitants of the former city were at first
unwilling to let him have the statue and difficulty was anticipated. Fr. Onorati remained with them for some days,
�2!8
Fr. TVozingcr Oil tlzc Pacific Coast.
and so far won their good-will as to prevail on them to
lmd their statue to the people of Fortaleza. The contract
for the loan (I do not know for how long a time) was drawn
up with great solemnity in the Church, in the presence of
a notary. l\len and women, great and small, young and
old, insisted on accompanying the statue by the almost
impassable route. Fr. Onorati alone, with surplice and
stole, went on horseback. \Vhen the procession arrived at
some distance from Fortaleza, the whole city poured out to
meet it, making the welkin ring with their joyous acclamations. Fr: Onorati says he never in his life saw so consoling a spectacle; he estimated the number present at about
25,000. At the city gates the military band joined them,
and the statue of St. Aloysius was borne into the city with
solemn ceremonies.
~
FATHER WENINGER ON THE PACIFIC COAST.
FOURTH LETTER .
---
..
REV. AND VERY DEAR FATHER:
P. C.
\Vhen last I took leave of my readers, I left them to
muse over the beauties of Portland, the Archiepiscopal See
of Oregon. It is the most important city of the State with
a population of fifteen thousand inhabitants, and is comfortably located on the banks of the Willamette river, some
twenty miles above its confluence with the Columbia. It is
. connected by rail, and partly also by water, with the interior o( the country and with Salem, the capital of the State.
From the convent and Academy conducted by the Sisters
of the "Names of :Jesus_ and lVIary," and situated in an
�Fr. TVmingcr on tltc Pacific Coast.
219
elevated part 0f the city, a truly ravishing panorama is
spread out before the gaze of the beholder. Everything
there tells of nature's exhaustless resources and inimitable
grandeur. But what chiefly lends sublimity to the picture,
are the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Cascade
Mountains. There are Mt. Hellen, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier,
l\'It. Jefferson and the Two Sisters-every one of them with
an elevation of about twelve thousand feet; but far above
them all towers aloft the giant form of Mt. Hood to a
height of fourteen thousand feet-an eternal monument of
Almighty power, compared to which the Titanic efforts of
ambitious mortals are less than a grain of dust in the
bahmce.
The Catholic population of Portland is almost exclusively
Irish. I found only some forty German Catholic families,
and a very slight sprinkling of French. In fact, along the
whole Pacific Coast the Catholic element is represented by
the ubiquitous sons of the Emerald Isle. Germans, French
and Spaniards form but an insignificant minority. At the
commencement of my missionary campaign in 1869, the
Germans had not a single church of their own, until in San
Francisco they secured the provisionary one mentioned in
a former communication. I also succeeded, after great
efforts, in obtaining another for them at Marysville, dedicated to Saint Theresa. In all other places they were obliged
to go to the English or French Churches.
·
I had heard much of the influx of German Catholics to
this part of the world, but a little personal experience soon
corrected any misconceptions on this point. There is in
reality no German Catholic Emigration worthy of the name
to the Pacific. Even in San Francisco I found scarcely one
fifth of the number accredited to that city. Instead of
twenty thousand, as report would have it, I do not think
that there are more than three or four thousand in all,
practical and non-practical. In other localities, in which
·.-ast numbt>rs were said to have congregated, I came across
�220
Fr. TVtmiug.·r Oil t!tc Pacific Coast.
only ·a few scattered families. ·I succeeded at last in tracing these exaggerated statements to their source. The
priests, who are mostly Irish, French or l.Iexican:;, took
for granted that the Germans whom they knew, were nearly
all Catholics, though not practical. You may imagine the
surprise of these good pastors, when most of these supposed Catholics turned out to be either Protestants or Jews.
The reasons, which have so far kept the tide of German
Catholic Emigration from flowing in this direction, are
simple .enough. California and the Pacific slope were first
settled oy adventurers, goaded on by an insatiate greed of
gold and willing to do without any settled domicile or habitation. Such a life may suit the beggared cltt"i.'alicr de fortuue, restless as the "\Vandering Jew"-or the reckless
VOJ'agmr, equally ready to pitch his tent upon the barren
plain to-day and, like the roving Arabs, to fold it and
plunge into deeper, lonelier solitude to-morrow. But your
honest Catholic German, whose domestic virtues are proverbial, is none of these. He loves to linger. about his
homestead however humble, and to gather his children
around the family hearth. It must go very hard with him
before he can make up his min<;! to sunder the dearest,
holiest ties that nature knows-=those of kindred and of
home.
Another reason was the difficulty of reaching the Pacific
Coast in former times. To cross the never-ending plains
with a team of oxen, which crept along at a snail's pace, was
feasible for a Yankee or a Missouri farmer, but not for a
German. To go by water and tempt the deep again, after
the first experiment in the steerage of a leaky sailing vessel, was perhaps tolerable for an exile of Erin, accustomed
from childhood up to see the threatening breakers dash
against his native island, but it was not very inviting for an
immigrant from the continent of Europe.
But more than all, the inland states had peculiar charms
of their own. The region watered by the Mississippi and its
�Fr. TVmingcr on t!tc Pacific Coast.
221
many tributaries was the "El Dorado" of the German.
There he saw fertile fields, that were a more unfailing source
of honest wealth than boasted mines of gold. Thither, too;
many of his countrymen had already preceded him, and
this fact alone was magic to his soul ; for of the Germans
in particular it is true, that "birds of a feather flock together." Hence it is, that throughout Ohio, Indiana; vVisconson, Iowa and Minnesota, they form the larger and wealthier.
Congregations, while in the Pacific as well as in the Atlantic
States they are but slimly represented. This obliged me to
preach almost exclusively in English, and to content the
Germans by hearing their confessions and giving them the
leading points of the meditation or instruction in their own
tongue.
The French, as far as I am aware, have four congregations
on the Pacific Coast; and I gave missions to them also in
their own churchtiS. · \Vhere they had no separate parishes,
but lived mixed up with the English speaking population, I
did with them as I did with the Germans.
\Vhat a blessing it would be, if every missionary in the
United States had the Apostolic gift granted to St. Francis
Xavier! Then all his hearers might say of him as the Jews
did on Pentecost day: "We have. heard him in our own
tongues speaking the wonderful works of God."
I have learned by sad experience to realize the difficulty
of addressing congregations composed of different nationalities. It generally doubles the number of sermons and
instructions to be given ; and, as a mission usually lasts
from eight to ten days, it becomes necessary to address the
people in each language from thirty to forty times. In
such cases the sermons and instructions are, of course,
shortened; still they take up a considerable time and are
much more fatiguing for the preacher than when he has to
speak only in one language.
Even when one nationality is very slimly represented,
and only the leading points of the meditations or instructions
�222
Fr. IVmingcr on t!tc Pacific Coast.
are given, the work is not without its own peculiar inconveniences. Under the pressure of such circumstances I
sometimes say jestingly to the pastors, that I would like to
suggest, as an addition to the Litanies: "From mixed Congregations, deliver us, 0 Lord!" Even the Pastors themselves find it impossible to satisfy all the various nationalities
that frequently make up the same congregation. Nor is
this at all surprising since even the Apostles experienced
this difficulty in their own day. For we read in Holy \\Trit:
"Et factus est murmur inter Graecos et Hebraeos." \Vherever it is possible, it is desirable for each nationality to have
its own church; the peace and harmony thus secured are
enough to outweigh any other considerations.
The first mission in Oregon took place in the Cathedral
of Portland. It had been already announced, and began
immediately upon my arrival there. Supposing that the
reader would rather see an account by one who witnessed it
than by the one who gave it, I send you an article from the
pen of a certain Mr. l\lc Cormick, one of the most respectable members of the Congregation. Each one will know
how to make allowance for the enthusiasm of first impressions, in a region of the earth where the labors of a priest
are apt to excite a degre\'! of astonishment which they would
not excite any where else; so, he will gu-ard against ascribing
to the missionary more than he would dare to claim for
himself in the secrets of his own heart.
Oregon, Oct. 5th, 1869.
"The Catholics of Portland have recently enjoyed the rare blessing of
a glorious mission conducted by the zealous missionary, Father F. X.
Weninger, 8. J., through whose perseverance and pious admonitions fi
most happy result has been accomplished. Our situation prior to the
labors of the good missionary may well be compared to a garden which
had been suffered to remain uncultivated for many years, where noxious
weeds had supplanted'the beautiful flowers which had hitherto blossomed
within its boundaries. But Fr. 'Veninger came, and like a skilful gardener he Up:t"ooted the weeds of sin, and made the garden of our holy
faith a blooming sanctuary of saved souls.
His plain language makes a lasting impression on the heart; but
neither language nor eloquence can express the zeal which he infuses
�Fr. TVcningcr o1z t!tc Pacific Coast.
223
into the hearts of his hearers, and the enthusiasm with which they enroll
themselves under the standard of the Cross. 'With the blessing of God,
all the good Father requires is that a tiny spark of Catholic faith should
smoulder in the hearts of those who listen to him; and if they are true
to themselves, and listen to his practical admonitions, he will not only
fan that spark into a flame, but he will enkindle the fire of divine love
in the hearts of all the faithful.
To say that his mission was a success, gives but a faint idea of the
work achieved. The amount of good accomplished was almost miraculous. )!any a poor soul who had wandered about for years, never
knowing the consolations of our holy creed, and never tasting of the
fruit of the tree of eternal life, has been recovered to purity and peace
of conscience. God strengthen the good Father in his great work.
)lay he live many years, so that he may be enabled to give renewals of
the missions to every parish where he has erected a mission cross; and
thus have the inexpressible joy of beholding visibly the fruit of his.
labors."
From the Capital of Oregon, I started to give a mission
to a Canadian Congregation at a station called St. Louis.
It was a relief to find that nearly all were French and acquainted with "Ia belle langue." Among those, who go by
the name of French in the United States, and especially in
Oregon, but few are natives of France; many are Canadians.
who have exchanged their own country for the States in
order to improve their temporal condition. Quite a number
of them pour into the North-\Vestern portion of our Republic to trade and live with the Indians. · They frequently
intermarry with the wild men of the forests, and their children are called .ftfctives or half-breeds. Indeed it is a remarkable fact that the French, who are the representatives
of social refinement, are drawn, as it were, by a sort of
fascination to amalgamate with these savages. Even
Frenchmen of wealth and standing are found here, who prefer
to link their fortunes to those of an Indian squaw rather
than to a lady of their own race. It is a startling confirmation of the well-known proverb: "extrema tangunt,-extremes meet." The JV!ctives or offspring of such marriages
are a mixture of French and Indian in character as well as in
blood; and it is interesting to note in them the vivacity of
�224
Fr. Tficningcr on tlzc Pacific Coast.
one parent combined with the meditative seriousness of the
other. On leaving the church after a sermon, these 1lli:ti•xs
may be often seen solitary and pensive, leaning on a fence
and musing over what they have heard. l\Iany of them
speak, or at least understand, French enough to profit by a
sermon. If they are unable to confess in French they do
it by an interpreter.
And here I cannot but remark in passing, that the efficacy
and power of a mission seem to be pretty much the same
for all nation~lities. The enlightening, touching and strengthening power of divine grace is equally great, no matter
. who are the hearers of God's holy \Vord. Though it has
been my duty and my consolation for these twenty-five
years to give missions in all the States from New York to
Vancouver's Island, I have always found new reasons to
admire the wonderful changes produced by the exercises of
our Holy Founder, in all hearts and under all sorts of circumstances. \Vhat is especially remarkable is the unmistakable fact that these results are by no means due to the
exertions of the Missionary, but purely to the mercy of
Him, who says: "Miserebor cujus misereor, et misericordiam praestabo cujus misereor." It wquld really seem that
the missionary, who sees these results. for which he knows
himself to be utterly insufficient, ought to be exempt from
any failings of self-complacency and feel like exclaiming:
"Digitus Dei est hie."
All nationalities evince the same zeal to profit by the
affluence of graces, which generally attends the Spiritual
Exercises and which at the very dawn of the Society made.
a Xavier, a Borgia and a Faber. The delicate, the sluggish and the indifferent, nay those who openly scoff at religion and profess a practicaf infidelity, feel the magic influence of ~he mission and brave heat and cold, snow and ice.
One instance just now occurs to my mind. Last Winter,
on one of the coldest days, a weak and infirm Irish lady
came for a distance of thirteen miles, on foot and fasting, to
�Fr. IVeningt'l· on t!tc Pacific Coast.
.225
receive Communion and to assist at the mission. She was
obliged to leave home shortly after two o'clock A. M. It
was a bitter cold night, on the shores of La.ke Michigan;
and she was all alone. But faith can surmount all obstacles.
The zeal of the Germans was known to me of old in
their own country. In the Tyrol, they would cross the Alps
every day in winter, a~ an elevation of three or four thousand
feet in order to attend a mission. They would form into
caravans, all wearing snow-shoes; and joining hands they
would form a long line across the mountains with the stoutest men at the head, and the weakest boys, girls and aged
people making up the rear. Sometimes, as early as four
o'clock in the morning, they would stand all covered with
snow at the doors of the church. Still these sturdy mountaineers did not show more zeal to assist at a mission than
do their countrymen in their adopted country on this side
of the Atlantic. I shall refer to but one instance among
many. I was giving a mission in Iowa. It was the day
set apart for the special instruction of the married men and
fathers of families.
At the very moment when the ceremony was to have
begun the alarm was given that a pr~irie fire was raging in
the neighborhood. \Ve all proceeded to the door of the
Church. The flames were advancing just in the direction
of the barns, fences and houses of my audience. Instead
of running at once to save their homesteads and crops, they
called on me, ready to stay or go, as I should decide; for
they were determined to stay and hear the sermon out, even
at the risk of seeing their houses laid in ashes. I could
not help exclaiming: "That's glorious !-I thank you for
this example of zeal which you have given to hear the
word of God. But hasten home now and save your worldly
possessions; this is the will of God to-day." They did as
I had bid them, and left me to admire their heroic determination to profit by the grace of the mission.
�Fr. 1Vmillgcr olt t!tc Ptrcifi( Coast.
The same eagerness is found in the French. I should
rather say that they distinguish the:ns~lves at a mission by
more manifest.signs of enthusiasm. At a mission given in
a French country congrcga~ion, where even at }~ster there
had not been more than nine co:11nnmicants, a hundred and
nine young men stood before the confessional on the day
set apart for them. I had to spend the whole night to
hear them and to admit them to the Holy Table on the
following day. In another French congregation the trustees
of the Church advanced towards me on their knees to thank
me in the ~<fme of the congregation for the mission I had
given. Such edifying incidents might be multiplied ad indcfinitum; but I must return to my movements on the Pacific
Coast.
Dtiring the mission at St. Louis a letter arrived from the
Rev. Fr. Rector of St. Igm.tim College, San Francisco,
with a request to open a mission in the College Church on
_the Sunday before Ad\•ent and to continue it until the feast
of the Immaculate Conception, on which day the CEcumenical Council at the Vatican was to be opened.-1 had
therefore, to return immediately to San· Francisco.
Immediately after the close of the mission I took the
stage from St. Louis to Portland. · ~\Yhat a dreadful journey! It suggested another addition to the Litanies: "From
a stage ride in Oregon and \Vashington Territory, deliver
us, 0 Lord!" One day's travelling on such a vehicle and. on.
such a road shakes one's bones a hundred times more than
the thousands of miles from Cincinnati to San Francisco.
I often thank heaven for the application of steam to
travelling purposes, while I recall the humorous remark
ascribed to the great St. Philip Neri "All is vanity except
a carriage on a muddy road." Steam and Electricity make
us almost ubiquitous, and give us advantages for the promotion .of God's greater glory, never possessed by our
zealous fore-fathers. vVhat precious auxiliaries they are to
a Jesuit whose first rule says: "Nostrae vocationis est
�.Fr. IVeningo·
OJt
tltc
P<~cijic
Coast.
227
diversa loca peragrarc." If it were only as easy to observe
all our Rules as this, I should not have much reason to
envy Blessed Berchmans and feel ashamed of mysel(
On arriving at Columbia Bar, we found the Pacific in a
fearful state of commotion. One steamer had lain for eight
days beyond the bar unable to cross it; our. position was
worse, for we had the storm and the Pacific Ocean full
against u,;. It was already \Vinter; and in \Vinter the
South wind almost continually lashes the Pacific Ocean
into a fury and dashes its maddened waves against the Bar;
whilst in Summer the North wind predominates, driving the
\\'a\·es of the Ocean back from the Bar and aiding the
course of navigation.
On the first day we tried twice to cross the Bar, bqt the
steamer was only tossed to and fro and exposed to constant
danger of being lost. All was useless. \Ve had to give it
up and draw back-During the day I frequently heard the
exclamation: "Some Jonas aboard." Such is the superstition of a certain class of seamen, resting on the Scripture
story about the disobedient prophet, that they look upon
the presence of a priest as a presage of storm and disaster.
But observing a change in the air and trusting to a coming
northern breeze, I too exclaimed in a loud voice: "Yes,
some Jonas aboard; but to-morrow you'll be glad of it,
because we shall pass over the Bar." In fact during the
.night, a strong northern gale arose. \Ve crossed the Bar
and moved rapidly onward. The effect was that even
Jews, who had laughed when they heard Jonas mentioned,
now said publicly: "'Tis a good thing, after all, to have a
missionary aboard."
There is a large number of Jews on the Pacific Coast;
but most of tliem belong to the so-called Reformed Israelites, who are, compared to the legal, old Asiatic or Polish
Jews, what Protestants are to Catholics. They make light
of the Old Law and believe what they please. Very often
they are simply Deists, believing in the existence of a God
�Fr. lf1i·ningcr on tltc Pacijic Coast.
and nothing else. There is also a number of orthodox
Jews on the coast, who have their own synagogues apart
from the others. These, as might be expected, are scandalized by the lawless behavior of their Reformed brethren;
and they became quite exasperated at table, when they
heard the Reformed Jews calling with a loud voice for
"ham!! ham!!"
I was particularly amused by the presence of a man who
belonged to the so-called sect of the l\Iillenarians. These
fanatics thi_nk that the elect will celebrate the millenium or
revel of a tfiousand years on earth, and that the time for it
is at hand. They have a kind of meeting-house in San
Francisco, and pretend that Adam and Eve are already
back on Earth, waiting for the commencement of this fabled
era. \Vho would believe that well-educated persons would
be so blind as to throw themselves into the arms of this
absurd denomination. Yet such is actually the fact. The
man I refer to, indulged in scribbling poems during our
voyage, and certainly possessed some ability and training.
I asked him where Adam and Eve might be found. He answered with a solemn countenance and in dead earnest :
"They live in the Blue Mountains of Oregon; I have just
visited them, and brought them a collection from the members of our denomination in San Francisco." Poor Adam
and Eve, who have to subsist on a collection taken up for
them in San Francisco!! They certainly deserve our pity ..
They must feel rather uncomfortable in their Paradise among
the Blue Mountains of Oregon.
This gentleman also told me, that the members of his
denomination will try to spread over the globe and make
proselytes. "I guess you are a missionary?" said he to me;
"so ain 1." I asked him if he meant to make me also a memher of his sect. "Certainly," replied he, and looked at me
with an' expression <;haracteristic of methodist preachers.
"If so," said I, "let me have a little talk with you ;-do you
believe that the Holy Scripture is the word of God and
contains the truth?" "Yes, we do."-"How then do you
�Fr. TVmingtr on tlze Pacific Coast.
expect a millenium now, before the resurrection?"- He
denied a future resurrection, and said that his sect admits
only a kind of transmigration of souls. I then urged the
words of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Seeing that he could
not escape, he became so excited that he broke up the interview, exclaiming: "I don't care anyhow what St. Paul
says. He was a proud man, and a proud man cannot be
trusted." I smiled, and he gave up the hope of my converswn. After a very prosperous voyage, we reached San
Francisco on the fourth day, in good time to begin the
mission at St. Ignatius'.
This mis~;ion lasted twelve (1::~) days and was a source of
great consolation to me. As our congregation in San
Francisco is very numerous and the occasion \vas a very
solemn one, the concourse of people was immense.· At the
instruction for. the girls alone over two thousand were
present, and there were about ten thousand communions in all. At the renewal of the baptismal vows, the
younger members of our sodalities, who had just made
the first communion, surrounded the baptismal font in the
sanctuary. They were decorated with their badges, and
behaved in so edifying a manner, and were so earnest in
their responses, that the whole congregation which packed
the Church lifted up their hands to heaven, and made the
arches of the large edifice resound with the words: "A
.Catholic I am, a Catholic I will remain, a Catholic I will
live, a Catholic I will die. Amen, amen." Never will those
present at the time forget this impressive scene. On the
last day, after the blessing of the mission cross, I usually
allow the mothers to come with all their children, including
their babes, in order to bless them, and to start the Society
of the Holy Infancy. This time at St. Ignatius' the children
offered 2 so dollars in gold.
I had still to give a mission to the French before the
close of the year. They have a Church of their own in
San Francisco; but only some females used to frequent it.
Indeed, it was said that, with very few exceptions, French-
�230
Fr. TVcnilwcr
b
011
!Itt
.
Paci-hc Coast.
'J''
men were no longer seen at .Church in San Francisco. An
occasion soon offered itself to convince me of their sad
condition. Happening to meet a French workman in the
yard of the priest's house, whilst giving the mission at St.
Francis, I asked him, "Are you a Frenchman?" "Oui, mon
pere." "Then I suppose you are a Catholic?" "Oui, je
suis un Catholique, Romain, Apostolique." "Do you understand English?" "Oui, mon pere." "Do you come to
the mission?" "Non, mon pere." "\Vhy not?" '·Il faut
travailler.~'' "But in the evening?" "Je suis htigue." ·'{llais
le dimandie ?" "II faut se promener." "\Vhen did you go
to confession last?" ''Oh! c'est long temps passe." "Why
do you not go to confession?" "Je n'aime p:1s Ia confession."
"And you say that you are a Catholic?" "Oui, je vous
l'ai deja dit, je suis un Catholique Romain, Apostolique."
There is a great difference between the Frenchman and
German. The Frenchman, though he does not practice
his religion, so long as he does not become a positive infidel,
always retains in his heart some esteem for our holy h'lith.
In this, as in oth::r poihts, he resembles his Irish brother.
However disheartening this state of things might be, I determined to make the best of it .. I began the mission,
trusting in nothing but the infinite_. mercy of God, and I
was not disappointed.-There were even more men than
women at tht> sermons and confessions: and the most consoling thing of all was that the fruit of the mission proved
lasting. The pastor told me that during the following
Eastertide more than seven hundred persons approached
the sacred table, while before the mission there had been
but few Easter confessions. I celebrated Christmastide with
the German congregation-preached on the evening of the
last day of the year, and together with them chanted the
"Tc Dmm," thanking God especially for the graces bestowe.d on me and my labors during the missions on the
Pacific Coast.
Yours truly,
F. X.
WENINGER,
s. J.
�FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
I
AT WOODSTOCK.
•
CoLLEGIU.\1 SACRATissnii CoRDIS ]EsU .
\VOODSTOCK, JUNE 20th, 1873·
The scholastic year, just passed away with its fleetness
of ceaseless action, has left on \Voodstock the impress of
many a beautiful change. Not only has the shaggy back
of the hill which looked bleak into the house, given way to
the practical skill of some and the devoted self-sacrifice of
others; not only have we smoothed with green the lawn
that takes its pbce, circled it with pines, and set its centre
with o:·namental vases; not only have we girded the beauty
of the garden and lawn with a walk that winds in the
shadow of the trees which crown the hill: but over the
beJs of our flowering garden, over the valley, its river, and ·
the wooded hills beyond, we have set the crown of all, the
image of the Eternal son of God with His Sacred Heart,
as the remembrancer of a great and memorable event, as
the seal of the solemn and perpetual consecration of \Voodstock College to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
\Vhy this house has been specially consecrated to the
Heart of Jesus, may be gathered from the introduction of
Very Rev. Fr. Provincial's Exhortation, given to the community on the eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and which
we desire to preface with a brief account of the consecration, aml of the dedication of its memorial.
Hoth took place on the evening of the Feast. At the
solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 6 o'clock,
P. M., and immediately before the Ta1tt11m Ergo, Very Rev.
Fr. Provincial solemnly read the act of consecration of the
Coliege to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
�232
Feast of tltc Sacr,·d Heart at TVoodstock.
Immediately after the Ben:=diction, we left the chapel and
went in procession to the front of the house. All bore
burning tapers and in the way chanted the Litan)r of the
Blessed Virgin. Arrived at the monument, ~he ranks filed
off into the garden walks, while Very Rev. Fr. Provincial,
assisted by Rev. Fr. Rector and Fr. Sestini, remained in
front of the statue, in order to perform the blessing.
There was no unveiling of the statue to gratify the vanity
of an artist, or to fill with admiration the first gaze of a.
multitudejt1 suspense. To our thoughts the inrage unveiled
the figure "of the unseen God, the beautiful form of the
Lord pointing to His Sacred Heart. Nor was there a festi\·e oration to awaken the great thoughts that slumber in
the souls of men, for such a one we had heard the evening
before, and the eloquent voice of Him, "like whom none
e·;er spoke," sounded in secret through the hearts of many
• and filled them with thoughts no less than divine. But
there was the solemn chant of the choir, there was the holy
presence of a religious community, and, at last, the blessing
of the monument according to the short but sacred rite of
the Church.
\ Vhen Very Rev. Fr. Provincial !lad finished this ceremony, we returned in procession to_ the house, singing as
we went the "Laudamus Domimwz"-our so'ng of praise
and thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the
blessings with which It had crowned Its own Feast in this
Its own College, and among us, the students of the College
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
A few words now about the monument. It is situated in
the centre of our little flower garden, about one hundred
feet from the house, and opposite the main entrance. Upon
six feet of mason-work, which rises three feet above the
levd of the garden and is covered with a green mound,
there ."rests a pedestal of granite, massive and simple, with
marble tablets in its four sides. This base is seven feet
eight inches high. Upon it stands the statue which is made
�Ftast of the ~<.,acrcd Hcmt at Woodstock.
233
of zinc, is painted white, and at some distance looks like
n1arble. The monument faces the South, and the marble
tablet on this side bears the following inscription in the
lapidary style:
CORDI
IESV · SERVATORIS
SANCTISSIMO
IN· CVIVS • FIDE
COLLEGil · AEDES
SVNT
AEREVM • SIGNVM
SO DALES
Al\'lORIS
ET • GRATI • ANIMI
CAVSSA
PP •
below which the date is engraven on polished granite.
X . KAL · IVL • AN . M · DCCC · LXXIII
The following inscriptions are on the tablets facing East,
\Vest and North, respectively:
0 · CAELI
TERRAEQVE·POTENS
CLIENTVM • PRECIBVS
FAVETO
ELEMENTORVM • IRAS
AB · AEDIBVS
TARTARE! · HOSTIS
INSIDIAS
ET ·,VISOS
INVISOSQVE · MORBOS
AB · INCOLIS
DEFEND ITO
�234
Feast of t!te Sacred Heart at fVoodstock.
TIBI
HAEC · ARVA · RIDENT
ATQVE
AGGERE · COMPLANATO
HAE · FLORIBVS
NITENT · AREOLAE
ET
PVBES · VNDIQVE · ACCITA
VIRTVTIBVS
SCIENTIIS · QVE
ADOLESCIT.
QVAS
CIRCVl\I
CERNIS
CHRISTO
VRNAE
FLORIBVS · HALANT
NE
CARPE
INCESTO
POLLICI•:
QVISQVE
FVAS
Looking at the monument as it stands, there is nothing
that might be called strikingly grand. But it nevertheless
embodies the truest conception of. the Man-God. The
broad, solid, and endurable base of granite reminds one of
the unshaken and immovable throne of God. On it stands
the white statue, calm and majestic, imaging the Lord as
He appeared to Blessed Margaret Mary. The calm countenance bends down upon you with heavenly serenity, the
left hand points to the Heart of Love, while the right holds
the fold of the sacred robe. Lower, perhaps, and nearer
the earth than some would have it, the image stands before
you with the ·attractive majesty of our Leader, and the
divine humility of the Man-God.
Such is the memorial of the solemn consecration of this
College to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, such the divine seal
that has been stamped upon this irrevocable act. May it re-
�Feast of tlze Sacred Heart at lVoodstock.
235
mind us and those who come after us of the deep nieaning
of this solemn consecration in thoughts, if not so beautiful,
still ever as salutary, as those which, on the eve of the
Feast, Very Rev. Fr. Provincial proposed for our consideration.
CONSECRATION OF WOODSTOCK COLLEGE TO THE SACRED HEART
OF JESUS ON THE FEAST OF THE S. HEART,
20 June, 1873·
"I luwe sanctified tlzis house to put my name tlzcrc forez•cr:
and my qts aud 11l)' lzcart shall be tlzcre alwa,ys." (iii. Kings 9.)
Reverend Fathers and dearly beloved Brethren in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus:
At the close of the last visitation of this house, the following words were recorded in the book of the memorials: ,
"At a meeting of the Fathers called during the official
visit to this house, on the 24th of April, 1873, it was proposed and unanimously resolved that Woodstock College
should be specially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, and that its title in the Catalogue of the Province
should be 'Collegium Sacratissimi Cordis J~su ;'* and that
the Sacred Heart of Jesus should be considered as the
principal Patron, and its Feast the Titular Feast of the
College."
We have reason to thank God for this pious inspiration
which He sent, and for the happy resolution which it
prompted and which we fulfil on this ever-memorable day.
We may look upon it as an evidence of God's special love;
since He designs to apply to this house, with a peculiar
significance those wonderful and consoling words : "I have
sanctified this house to put my name there forever; and
my eyes and my heart shall be there always." Henceforth
this house shall be a holy house ; a temple sacred to the
* The legal title remains as fixed in the Charter: "Woodstock· College ;"-and the Post-office address continues as before.
�,,
236
Feast of t!te Sacn·d Heart at fVoodstock.
I
I
Divine Heart, which is to reign in it forever as its King, to
dwell in it as its Father. And we, who dwell here with
this Divine Heart, and all those who shall follow us, will be
the servants of this glorious Master, the children of the
tenderest of Fathers. On us His eyes will ever rest with
pleasure; on us His Heart will ever shed Its best love, Its
choicest graces.
The Spirit of God, which fills the whole earth, and which
is the aniniating principle of the Church, has, in all ages.
suggested· and inspired the means best adapted to ward off
the dangers that threatened the faithful at various times,
and has produced in the Church a sort of divine instinct,
secret but .irresistible, unconscious but infallible, which
urged the faithful now to one, now to another precaution,
caused now this devotion-to predominate, now that pious
practice to be adopted ; pointed to-day to one danger as it
arose, to-morrow to another which succeeded. And thus
forewarned and forearmed, the Church has baffled the bestlaid-plans for her destruction and triumphed over the hidden, as well as over the open assaults of her enemies. In
our days, if there is one feeling in the great heart of the
Church more intense, if there is OJ!~ impulse of that divine
instinct more powerful than another, who can doubt that
it is the feeling which inspires confidence in the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, the impulse which presses the faithful to
fly to it, as to a city of refuge, to dwell in it, as in a secure
asylum? A spirit has gone forth upon the Church in all
lands ; it has breathed upon all peoples. · The captive
Pontiff has felt it on his throne. The Princes of the
Church have been moved by its power. Cities and Dioceses,
Kingdoms and nations have owned its influence; and down
to the humblest of the children of the Church, the gentle
whispering of that spirit has been heard. It is the spirit
of consecration, of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This spirit has taken possession of the entire body of the
Church; it has permeated all its members; and to the eye
�Feast of tile Sacrtd Heart at Woodstock.
237
of faith, the Church presents to-day a spectacle similar to
that which was witnessed in the days that preceded the
deluge ;-a long, earnest, fearful, yet hopeful procession
from every land under heaven, of those who are not to perish, crowding towards the Ark of Salvation, taking refuge
in the Heart of Jesus. A mysterious voice seems to have
spoken to the heart of the Church, and told of evil days
that are at hand, of dark storms lurking behind the horizon; but at the same time, suggested the refuge in which
her children would be secure. And therefore we have
heard of cities and dioceses consecrated to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus; of kingdoms and nations, of entire Religious
Orders, of associations, of congregations, compmnities,
civil and military as well as religious, devoting themselves
by public and solemn acts of consecration to the same
Divine Heart. Our Society was specially favored by being
among the first to feel this holy and salutary inspiration,
and we still remember with joy and gratitude, the consolation, the courage, the hope which our solemn consecration
to the Sacred l-Ieart diffused throughout all the provinces
and houses of the Society.
And as we had reason then to praise the goodness of our
. Lord for drawing the Society to a more intimate union with
His Sacred Heart, so we may thank Him again to-day for
deigning to unite us and this house to It in the still closer
bonds of a special consecration.
There is indeed a deep significance in the grace vouchsafed to us on this day. It is a warning ; it is a protection ;
it is a promise of a glorious victory.
1. It is a warning.
For, this divine impulse which bids
us devote ourselves entirely to the Sacred Heart, signifies
to us that there are special dangers to be met, more subtle,
or more violent attacks to be sustained, against which our
only defence will be the power, the love, the compassion of
that Heart, in which power, love and compassion are infinite. It is a warning which tells us, in a manner which ex-
�238
Feast of tlte Sacred Heart at Woodstock.
eludes all doubt or hesitation, that unless we shelter ourselves in this Heart, we shall find no other asylum equally
secure against the coming dangers. It is a warning, because it bids us understand what is meant by being consecrated entirely and unreservedly to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus.· For, our consecration must not be a mere passing
ceremony, splendid and consoling while it lasts, but soon to
be forgotten and leaving no trace after it. If we are truly
consecrated to the Sacred Heart, our lives must give evidence of it.i our minds, our hearts, our time, our labor, our
energies must be sacrificed on the Altar of the Sacred
Heart, and our entire being must be devoted to Its glory.
To be consecrated to the Sacred Heart, is to be totally
vowed to' Its interests, to the increase of love towards It,
to the diffusion of Its graces over the hearts of men. It
is to be the faithful and zealous servants of that Divine
Heart, ever watchful, ever laboriously promoting Its glory;
ever lovingly devising new proofs of attachment. It is, to
be the valiant soldier of the Sacred Heart, never sleeping
at his post, never deserting his standard, never shrinking
from hardship in Its service, ever eager to defend Its honor,
to extend Its conquests, to lead the. hearts of men captive
to Its love.
..- -·
Such is the warning we receive to-day ; and such should
be our life-long interpretation of its meaning.
2. And if we thus understand the warning, then our
consecration to the Sacred Heart will be real, sincere
and lasting; and therefore, it will also be a defence and a
protection, as well as a promise of victory.
Now, since our vocation is, to sanctify our own'soul and
to labor successfully for the salvation of others, that which
most effectually secures this twofold object, will be at once
our safety against a fall, our help to advance in perfection,
and a· fruitful benediction on our labors for others. But
what can be a more abundant source of grace for our own
advancement in virtue than that Heart in which all virtue
�'
Feast of t!te Sacred Heart at
~Voodstock.
239
is centred, from which alone all virtue proceeds? what
means can be more efficacious for our own sanctification
than that devotion to which our Lord Himself has promised the most boundless effusion of every grace? To be a
perfect Religious, a worthy companion of Jesus, is to be
truly. humble, obedient, poor, chaste, mortified, patient,
charitable, meek and uncomplaining. 0 look at that
Divine Heart, and tell me where you will find those virtues
in equal perfection and with equal eagerness to well up
from their deep fountains and to pour themselves out in
copious streams, to flood your hearts with their heavenly
wealth of beauty, of joy and of merit? If you desire to
find Religion a Paradise of delights, an Eden of endless
fertility and of unbroken peace, let it be the Paradise of the
Sacred Heart, with Its warm sunshine to illumine and Its
rich streams to give birth to the flowers and the fruits.
Live in this Heart, feast upon Its manna, grow into.Its
likeness, imbibe Its spirit, imitate Its virtues: in a word,
be devout to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and not only shall
you be secure against all danger of being overcome by the
deceits of your enemies, but you will find the practice of
religious virtue a delight, you will advance in perfection, as
it were, without effort, as if you were borne along by a
power not your own ; you will be the ornaments of your
holy mother, the Society of Jesus, the true children of
St. Ignatius.
3· And if your hearts are then filled with the spirit and
the virtues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; if you go forth
from this house armed with this devotion and animated
with the zeal \Vhich it will produce within you, can you doubt
that you have a promise of victory; can you doubt that
your labors will be blessed with abundant fruit; that you
will repulse with triumphant energy every assault of the
devil and the world upon the citadel entrusted to your
valor? ... the Sacred Heart itself i~ your warrant of success. It has promised victory to its followers and has told
�240
'·
Feast
of tlze Sacred Heart at TVoodstock.
them that no power should resist them. The hardest hearts
shall melt at their word ; the most obstinate sinners shall·
be conquered by their zeal; the most inveterate abuses shall
yield to their gentle but mysteriously invincible power. .
And all these promises both of grace for ourselves and
of power over the souls of others, are peculiarly our own.
It is to us, in a special manner, that this treasure is confided
to enrich our own hearts and to adorn the hearts of our
neighbors. The Divine Heart of Jesus draws us to itself
with special predile<=:tion and looks to us for the extension
of its love, the spread of its devotion. And to-day, it
receives us into the ranks of its most devoted followers,
into the number of its Apostles. This house becomes a
sanctuary of the Sacred Heart; a sacred school in which
we shall learn from It how we must combat, how we may
triumph. Here, in this happy abode, our hearts will be
filled with the choicest graces, with the zeal, the prudence,
the charity,-the ardent love for God, the heroic fortitude, the
div~ne and all-subduing power, which we shall need in future
years on the battle-fields of the world. This house becomes
a centre of apostolic fervor, a brightly burning furnace of
devotion to the Sacred Heart, and from this centre that
apostolic fervor will carry this d~yotion in rays of purest
light to the ends of the earth, everywhere dissipating the
darkness of error, ending the long night of sin and shedding life and beauty, grace and strength upon the hearts of
men.
May this house then be ever worthy of the glorious title
which this day bestows upon it:
"THE COLLEGE OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS."
College, because it is a house in which many are assembled
for a common purpose; College,_ because its members are
devoted to the study of science : but College of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, because they are assembled in that Name
and cultivate science for the glory of that Heart: College
�Feast of tltc Sacred Heart at lVoodstock.
241
of the Sacred Heart, because they that dwell in it are the
servants, the clients, the children, the disciples of that
Heart; because their only. study is to learn the lessons
which thc.t Heart teaches and because all other study is
directed to this end, animated and elevated by this intention,
sanctified by the ardent desire to enlighten the hearts o(
others with this heavenly wisdom; College of the Sacred
Heart, because that Divine Heart presides over it as its
chief and only true Superior and Father; and all its inmates obey its voice, love its commands, fulfil its precepts
and strive in all things to merit its approval: because that
Heart is the Master whose lessons are heard and esteemed
above all other lessons ; whose wisdom guides all other
study, and in whose truly divine science alone all other
sciences find their origin and first principles, their truth, the
solution of their difficulties and the beauty of their final
perfection. In a word, College of the Sacred Heart, because
it educates the Apostles of devotion to it. This is to be
the chief glory of this house, the brightest ornament in its
crown, as well as the chief and sole end of its existence
and its labors.
Its aim henceforward is, to train up men filled with the
spirit of the Sacred Heart and send them forth to pour out
this spirit; which alone can renew the face of the earth; its
joy shall be to witness this glorious renewal effected by its
Apostles; its crown-truly a crown of joy and a diadem of
exultation, such as no mortal monarch ever bound around
his brow,-hearts, once blackened with crimes, once wounded and bleeding, now healed, purified, made beautiful in
their resemblance to the Sacred Heart of, Jesus; hearts
won by these Apostles of the Sacred Heart and brought
back as a tribute and as trophies to this source of their
happiness and their salvation.
�CHURCHVILLE, BERKS CO., PA.
From a letter to Revd. Fr. Provincial, from Fr. Bally,
S. J., Pastor of the Catholic Church in Churchville, Berks
Co., Pa., \Ve quote the following :
"On last Sunday, (July 6th) our Church was the scene of
a most consoling and edifying ceremony. The Revd. Edward Forney, Pastor of the German Reformed Church in
Norristown, made a formal abjuration of heresy, according
to the formula adopt:::d by the last Council of Baltimon", and
was received into the Catholic Church. l\lr. George Wolff,
Editor of the Philadelphia Catholic Standard, and Professor
Budd, also of Philadelphia, both converts, were present at
the ceremony, the former acting as sponsor. Fr. Schleuter
and Revd. Fr. :\IcDermott, of St. John's Church,.Philadelphia, assisted in the administration of the SacramenL Everything was done in Latin, with which all those present were
familiar. l\lr. Forney made a tr}.duum preparatory to his
reception into the Church, to the· devotions of which he
was strongly attached even before the time of hi:; abjuration; indeed it has even been his habit for the last two
years to recite daily the Rosary of the B. V. Mary. Though
but twenty-two years old, Mr. Forney has graduated in two
Colleges and is an excellent English and Classical scholar.
Being unmarried, he will be free to follow, without difficulty, his natural inclination, to enter the ecclesiastical
state, though he will take a month to reflect and decide
upon the course he will now adopt. Before his abjuration
he took leave of his former congregation in an affectionate
lette'r, stating that though reason and conscience forced
him to embrace the Catholic faith, still he would always
continue to think kindly of them and pray for them as
before. He is not without great hope that some of his
former flock will follow his example."
�OBITUARY.
Since our last issue, two members of our community have
been called to their rest; on June the 19th, the eve of the
Feast of the Sacred Heart, Father Dominic Franchini departed this life, and about a month later, July 15th, Father
Felix Cicaterri. In making this announcement, we do not
propose to give any account of their holy and laborious
lives, but, leaving the meritorious record to our Lord, who
knows and will reward it, we beg for our dear departed the
prayers of all our brethren whom this news will reach.
Father Franchini had been in America but one year, and
this he spent in Woodstock, as Professor of Moral Theology. Before he came, the very delicate state of his health
was well known to superiors, but not a little hope of staying
the progress of his decline was based on his residence in a
new climate. \Vith the exception of very few days, he
taught his class regularly, and resigned it only when entering on the four weeks' sickness which closed his holy life.
His gentle, cheerful and saintly disposition received fresh
development during his last illness; resigned to die, or
rather joyous in the anticipation of his early release, he had
but one source of anxiety, the dread of being an annoyance
to others, and to the last the most trifling service rendered
never failed to win from him a word, or at least a smile, of
grateful recognition. His ardent devotion to our Lord's
Heart in the Blessed Sacrament, his tender, filial trust in
Mary's help, and his truly singular purity of soul, met
their re\vard in his last hour. Calmly, and with very little
struggle, he breathed his last a few minutes before 10, P. M.,
on the Eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Not for his
�,,
. 244
Obituary .
learning or labors, though eminent in the one and prodigal
in the other, was he most precious whilst here, or is he now
deplored: the virtues of his soul, native and unadorned, and
those new ones that grace and cooperation gained for him,
were his greatest treasure and. our greatest loss; a loss
however that we bear not with sorrow, but with sweet joy
for the gain it has brought to our dear Father.
About 2, P. l\1., on July the I 5th, the feast of B. Azevedo
and his martyred companions, the venerable Fr. Cicaterri
entered into rest. In January last, he came to \Voodstock
to assume- .the post of Spiritual Father, and in the service
of our community he bravely spent the last months of an
eventful life. For many years a complication of diseases
made him a terrible sufferer, but his indomitable will and
wonderful force of character seemed to render him superior
to physical weakness. His condition grew alarming about
the beginning of June, and it was evident that no human
means would avail to save his life. Just at that time workmen were laying the foundations of the monument to the
Sacrt!d Heart, the erection of which is noticed in these
pages, and, receiving a new impulse from the happy occasion that was drawing near, the whole community confidently turned to our Lord, and sought from Him the lives
of our two sick Fathers. God willed otherwise; on the
Feast of the Sacred Heart, Father Franchini was, we hope,
among the Sacred Heart's adorers in heaven. Father
Cicaterri gathered strength to drag himself to the window
of his room, whence he witnessed the ceremony of blessing
the statue, but he never afterwards left his room.
The closing scenes of his life were in example a worthy
complement of the exhortations with which for so many
years he had urged on his brethren in the path of virtue. The
remarkable spirit of prayer, which had characterized his life
from the noviceship up, failed him not at its close. He
prayed· always and with great unction. Even when his
weakness was such that he was forced to keep his bed
�Obituary.
245
throughout the day, he would make an heroic effort and
struggle to the Altar to offer the Holy Sacrifice. Superiors
remonstrated with him for so severely taxing his waning
strength, but he answered: "Do not, I beg of you, deprive
me of a single Mass; they are all precious to me now. The
time is coming soon when I would give anything to offer
the Holy Sacrifice, and I shall not be able."
The last weeks of his life greatly intensified his sufferings,
but his patience and courage grew in proportion. vVhen
the hour of death came, it found him composed and hopefully waiting for the command to go forth. Surrounded by
the members of the community, not a few of whom had
been his novices, while the prayers of the Church were
being recited, his purified soul passed out of this life.
"Lactcntur OlllJtes qui spcrant in te: in actermtm exultabzmt
d lwbitabis in cis.
[Ps. v.
D. 0. M.
��Dublin CoreThe Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.TitleA name given to the resourceWoodstock LettersCreatorAn entity primarily responsible for making the resource<a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n79046634" target="_blank">Jesuits</a><a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n81134877" target="_blank">Woodstock College (Woodstock, Md.)</a>SourceA related resource from which the described resource is derivedBX3701 .W66PublisherAn entity responsible for making the resource availableJesuit Archives: Central United States ContributorAn entity responsible for making contributions to the resourceMaryland Province of the Society of JesusJesuit Archives: Central United StatesSaint Louis UniversityRightsInformation about rights held in and over the resourceReproduced with permission of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Permission to copy or publish must be obtained from the Jesuit Archives Central United States.FormatThe file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resourcePDFLanguageA language of the resourceeng latTypeThe nature or genre of the resourceTextIdentifierAn unambiguous reference to the resource within a given contextJA-WoodstockRights HolderA person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.Maryland Province of the Society of JesusAbstractA summary of the resource.The Woodstock Letters were a publication of the Society of Jesus from 1872 until 1969. They were named after Woodstock College, the Jesuit seminary in Maryland where they were published. Written almost entirely by Jesuits, and originally intended to be read only by Jesuits, the Letters were "a record of current events and historical notes connected with the colleges and missions of the Society of Jesus in North and South America." They include historical articles, updates on work being done by the Jesuits, eyewitness accounts of historic events, book reviews, obituaries, enrollment statistics for Jesuit schools, and various other items of interest to the Society. The writings of many renowned Jesuit scholars and missionaries appeared in the Woodstock Letters, including Pedro Arrupe, Pierre-Jean de Smet, Avery Dulles, Daniel Lord, Walter Hill, John Courtney Murray, Walter Ong, and Gustave Weigel. They provide an invaluable record of the work done by American Jesuits throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries.Date AvailableDate (often a range) that the resource became or will become available.2017-2ExtentThe size or duration of the resource.99 itemsTemporal CoverageTemporal characteristics of the resource.1872-1969SubjectThe topic of the resource<a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85021157.html" target="_blank">Catholic Church--Periodicals</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004994.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--19th century</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004995.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--20th century</a>TextA resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.Original FormatThe type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional dataPeriodicalDublin CoreThe Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.TitleA name given to the resourceWoodstock Letters - Volume 2 (1873)CreatorAn entity primarily responsible for making the resource<a href="https://lccn.loc.gov/n81134877" target="_blank">Woodstock College (Woodstock, Md.)</a>SubjectThe topic of the resource<a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85021157.html" target="_blank">Catholic Church--Periodicals.</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004994.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--19th century</a><a href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh87004995.html" target="_blank">Jesuits--History--20th century</a>DescriptionAn account of the resource1873 edition of the Woodstock Letters, "a record of current events and historical notes connected with the colleges and missions of the Society of Jesus." PublisherAn entity responsible for making the resource availableJesuit Archives: Central United StatesContributorAn entity responsible for making contributions to the resourceMaryland Province of the Society of JesusJesuit Archives Central United StatesSaint Louis UniversityTypeThe nature or genre of the resourceTextFormatThe file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resourcePDFIdentifierAn unambiguous reference to the resource within a given contextJA-Woodstock-002SourceA related resource from which the described resource is derivedBX3701 .W66 LanguageA language of the resourceenglatRelationA related resourceJA-WoodstockRightsInformation about rights held in and over the resourceReproduced with permission of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Permission to copy or publish must be obtained from the Jesuit Archives: Central United StatesRights HolderA person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.Maryland Province of the Society of JesusDate AvailableDate (often a range) that the resource became or will become available.2017-2ExtentThe size or duration of the resource.256 pagesTemporal CoverageTemporal characteristics of the resource.1873https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/26015/archive/files/a11535f8a5b9867e367ea1727ecf7a8b.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1519317230&Signature=MhSDU%2F1dOhLGkTUtpT0YkwXbEcM%3Da5fe131c0c42915ee67364821862741ePDF TextTextA. M. D.
G.
vVOODSTOCIC LETTERS,
A RECORD
Of Curre111 Et·en.ts a ·n d .Ilistorical Notes ctJuu ectn l witll
tll r Colleae.-. aml 1
llissions of' th e Soc. of' .T(~-.u.o;
in ~Yort11. aull South .Lbn erica.
VOL. III.
WOODSTOCK COLLEGE,
1874·
Printed for private circulation only.
��A. M. D. G.
vVOODSTOCIC LETTERS,
A RECORD
Of Cm•re11l Et·euts and HistOJ•ical Notes t'OIIIIectell with
tile Colle(Jes antl .Missions of tile Soc. of
in Nortl1 antl South ..timerico.
,ff'liUS
VOL. III.
WOODSTOCK COLLEGE,
1874·
Pri11ted for private circulation only.
�'.
i.
�CONTENTS.
PAGE
St. Joseph's Church, Philadelphia
New York and Canada Mission
Fiftieth Anniversary of the :Missouri Province .
Earliest Ministrations of the Society in Baltimore
Father De Smet
San Antonio, Texas
1, 94, 182
27, 135, 172
43
52, 83
59
G5, 133
Indian 1\Iissions-The Sinpesquensi
G8
Letter from Cincinnati .
73
Last days at the Gcsu
Father \Veninger on the Pacific Coast
79
112, 200
Osage Mission
12G
Devotion towards St. Josepil at Georgetown College
150
Sixth Centennial Feast of St. Thomas at \Vootlstock
154
Mission at Susquehanna, Pa.
158
Foreign News Items
1GO
The Natchez Indians in 1730
1G:3
Indian Missions-Lake Huron
208
Relations of "Medicine-men" with the Evil Spirit
213
Death of l\Ir. Thomas J. Dixon, S. J.
217
Transfer of the relics of St. J ohu Francis Regis
22:3
��:VVO.O D S T 0 CI( 1 ETTERS.
VOL. III., No.
1.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA.
(Continued.)
The chief difficulty during the administration of Very
Rev. Ludovicus Barth was the ·question of precedence at
the meetings of the trustees of St. Mary's Church, which
since 1810·had been the Cathedral of the diocese. By the
charter granted by the Legislature, there were three clerical
and eight lay trustees. The first pastor of St. Mary's was,
ex officio, President of· the Board. During the life of
Bishop Egan, he, of course, filled the chair. At his death
t!te question arose as to who was the first pastor. All the
priests of St. Joseph's and St. Mary's resided at the St.
Joseph's Residence, and did so until after 1830, although
Hazzard, in his life of Archbishop Hughes, speaks of the
clergy returning from St. Mary's to St. Joseph's. They
formed but one parish and the priests perfo!_'med priestly
�2
St. :Joseph's C!turc!t, P!tiladdp!tia.
duties in both churches. The resident priests were Re\".
John Rossiter 0. S. A., and Reverend Terrence Me Girr.
with occasional assistance from Rev. Patrick.Kenny, and in
1819 from Rev. Enoch Fenwick,* and a short while towards
the end of the year from Rev. Doctor Gallagher. t
During the five years that intervened since the death of
Bishop Egan, Very Rev. Ludovicus Barth, who visited the
City almost every month, when present, presided at the
meeting of the trustees of St. Mary's, and in his absence,
Rev. Father Rossiter; though many of the trustee~ would
have preferred Father .Hurley, although not stationed at St.
Joseph's. The churches of St. Joseph, St. l\lary and St.
Augustine, until this time had given the Archbishop and
the Administrator of the diocese very little trouble. It is
true the fashionable Catholics of East Fourth Street, Matthew Carey, Richard W. Meade, John Ashley, et /zoe gmus
vmne complained most bitterly of the want of eloquence
among the clergy, and as far as this want of eloquence was
to be lamented they had cause to complain. Father Hurley
was brusque and unpolished, Father O'Donnell 0. S. A., was
·prolific and dry, and Father Rossiter said : "say .your prayers,
tdl no lies, don't steal, mind your own business, let's go on
with the Mass." t Father Me Girr·was equal to a soothing
syrup and Father Kenny acted as· a··counter-irritant.
Unfortunately in the first week of May 1820, a young
so mew hat clerical-looking gentleman of the name of Wm.
Hogan entered the Residence at St. Joseph's and informed
Rev. Patrick Kenny that he had come to be one of the pastors of St. Joseph's. When asked who had sent him, he
answered in the slang of to-day, "all right." "When questioned as to his credentials, he replied that they were on
their way from Ireland.
Contra1y to his usual custom, Very Rev. Ludovicus Barth
did not visit St. Joseph's, until the beginning of July.§ In
*Baptismal Registry, p. 288.
t Bap. Reg. p.
t Mrs. O'Donnell's Account.
~
305.
Bap. Reg. p. 323.
�St. :Joseph's Church, Philadelplzia.
3
the meanwhile Mr. Hogan had not been idle. A few days
after his arrival we find him baptizing. * Being of pleasing
address he gained much favor with the so-called "first families." A few Sundays after his arrival he occupied the
pulpit of St. Mary's, and though a very illiterate. man, he
was an effective speaker. Slight and dapper in appearance,
he paid due respect to all the requirements of dress. An
old Quaker relative of mine used to remark: "the price of
pomatum must have risen s"ince \Villiam's arrival." He
soon became a favorite, unhappily too much of a favorite,
with ·the ladies. His manner of acting with them soon
went beyond all the bounds of propriety. For four or five
years a spirit of independence, or more properly speaking
insubordination, was springing up among thepurse-proud
Catholics of the City of Brotherly Love. They soon discovered that they had a ready tool for their unholy purposes,
in the superficial, shallow Wm. Hogan, while their worldly
minded and not over prudent daughters were b4t too ready
to second their efforts. "Look at dear Father Hogan.
Dear Mrs. J..... , said Miss L. .... , isn't he sweet? Old
l\Ic Girr is a perfect scare-crow beside darling Mr. Hogan."
Their admiration was not confined to words; night after
night, the parlors .of East Fourth and West Third Streets
were brilliantly illuminated, and the Rev. Wm. would be
seen stepping it out on the light fantastic toe, while the
"rosy" flowed freely, until long after midnight, and later in
th~ same day, the same guests would be found sitting in the
pews of St. Mary's, whilst Mr. Hogan offered the Spotless
Lamb.
In the meanwhile the conscientious Catholics were anxiously waiting the arrival of the Very Rev. Administrator,
and Fathers Kenny and Me Girr were not silent in private
intercourse, and Father Hurley made the walls of St. Augustine's resound with denunciations of "the fop who had
made himself a priest."
*Baptismal Registry, p. 318.
I
�4
St. Yoseplt's c;;urclt, Plti!adclpltia.
At this time there was living at a fashionable Boardingschool, in \Valnut Street above 3rd, as confidential servant,
Honora Me Glinchy (I am not sure as to the family name).
She was very remarkable for her piety and for her honesty.
Being c~ptivated by Father Hogan's preaching, Honora became one of his warmest admirers and could not
be brought to believe the reports to his discredit. An
indiscreet acquaintance to convince her took her to the
residence of a wealthy Catholic where she saw her hero
,\·altzing with the eldest daughter of the house. Her conductor receiyed a blow in the face for his thanks, and the
next morning. the early pedestrians in the neighbourhood of Third and Walnut Streets, began to think that if it
was not raining pitchforks, there seemed to be a shower
of bricks and other missiles. Honora was on the roof
crazy as a March hare. For sometime she was a raving
maniac, but afterwards became more quiet, and for more
than the t~ird of a century she was one of Philadelphia's
celebrities. Poor "Crazy Norah!" many a time I have
seen her in her high top-boots and broad Quaker hat, and
many a message, quite startling, if not very intelligible, has
she delivered to me fi·om my Grandmother or from the HolyGhost. \Vhen she became less dangerous and was allowed
to wander about the streets, she conceived a strong dislike
to him whom the Fourth Commandment bids me honor
that my days may be long. He, being a leading Bishopite,
was, of course, an object of displeasure for Norah. Whenever she met him he got what is called "a good tongue-lashing"-he used to denominate it a complete blackguarding,
so that the sight of Norah became for him the signal of
inglorious retreat. One morning he was standing in Walnut Street, conversing with some gentlemen, when raising
his eyes, whom does he see coming towards him but the
dreaded Amazon ; his first impulse was to try the fleetness
of his legs, but time did not permit, there was the enemy
face to face. "Patrick," said she, "Patrick, you are right and
�St. Yosep!z's Clmrclt, Plziladelplzia.
5
I am wrong. God bless us both ! " She passed on to his
great relief, and never again annoyed him. For some time
she lived on the benevolence of the people, but afterwards
she earned a comfortable livelihood, as a collector of bad
debts. Her plan was a novel one. After presenting the bill,
if it were not honored, she placed herself upon the sidewalk, where she soon gathered a crowd,-no Philadelphian
ever conceived that Norah was amenable to the pollee-then
after delivering a message from his Grandmother to each
passer-by, she would inform him of the nature of the duty
she was performing. She seldom remained in any one place
more than an hour. One or two would-be-wags undertook
to play a trick upon her by giving her false commissions,'
they did not attempt it a second time, and very willingly
paid double commission to escape the caustic messages
from their Grandmothers and the cloven-footed gentleman
who was supposed to have them in keeping. She attended
Mass faithfully on Sundays and holidays and sometimes
when it was a work of supererogation. Her favorite place
was in the box and seat of our much belo_ved Father Edward Sourin S. J.; if anyone, by mistake, entered the penitent's cell he was informed that she was a schismatic bishop
who had no faculties in this diocese, since the departure
of John England, but that she would be happy to carry
his kind wishes up to his Grandmother in the North-garret.
If not annoyed she was perfectly harmless, and she was
seldom annoyed, for the boys of Philadelphia had heard
from tradition of the accuracy of her aim and the strength ·
with which she would send a brick flying, repo~t said, "for
two squares." She never recovered her reason, but I think
had the presence of a priest in her last moments.
Another of our village's celebrities, though her fame was
principally among the Catholics, was dear "old Mary Johnson." She too was an admirer of "curley-headed-Hogan,"
and adhered to him "a poor persecuted martyr," after his
suspension by Bishop Conwell. ·when he could no longer
�6
if
![
:t
,,
I
I
f
f
i!
:r
,I
St. :Joseplt's Clmrclt, Plti!adelpltia.
remain with the other priests in Father Greaton's house, but
took up his residence in the small two-story dwelling to
which I have referred in Part Ist, of this narrative, as the
residence of Mrs. Baker's parents, and which now belonged
to St. Mary's Church, Mary Johnson became his housekeeper. I wish I could describe Mary to you as many of
our fathers have seen her. She was scarce more than four
feet high, lean in proportion, and until old age, active upon
her feet, she never walked, she always trotted. If Mr.
Swiveler h'!d seen her, he would have declared her a
close connec'iion of the Marchioness. I must give you a
description of this historical house.' It was a two-storied
house with attics. From a step on a level with the sidewalk, you entered a box-entry, about four feet by three,
which led into Mrs. Baker's "best room." A window on
the North side opposite the door of entrance gave you a
view of a narrow four foot yard and of the St. Joseph's Resi~
dence. To the right of this window was a door leading to
the kitchen, or as it was generally called "the living room.''
As soon as you passed this door, stepping to the right, you
might ascend the stairs to the second floor, landing upon a
small square entry, between the two rpoms and having another flight leading to the attic as it is .now styled, then, to
the garret. In this entry there was a window from which
an easy view might be obtained of all who entered the
Bishop's house. It was a favorite occupation of "the Gentleman from Limerick" to sit in this entry pretending to
· read, but in reality watching the incomings and outgoings
at the ho1,1se of his adversary. One afternoon when engaged in this pastime, a committee of three of the trustees
of St. Mary's-John Leamy, Richard W. Meade, and John
Ashley, waited upon Mr. Hogan, to obtain his signature to
a letter they had prepared as from him in reply to the
Bishop's' Secretary, Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold, 0. S. D.
Their knock at the door brought Mary from her classic
apartment to answer it. It was necessary that she should
�5;!. Yoscplz's Clmrclt, P!ti!adelp/zia.
7
pass the Reverend gentleman, who, not knowing who was
about to visit him, thought he might take a liberty with his
little "Dame Durden," he had often taken with the proud
damsels of Penn's City.-Noble Mary Johnson! She had
clung to Mr. Hogan through good report and ill, for she
thought he was a true priest of God ; she had heard the
current stories, but, to her, these were the inventions of
enemies; she knew he was censured by his Bishop, but she
had been led to believe. the Bishop "an obstinate, ill-informed
tyrannical, old dotard." * It is true he had kept very late
hours, but Mary was an industrious, cleanly body, and after
a day's hard labor, when she ascended to her garret and
had said her prayers, she reeked but little of sublunary af·fairs. Mr. Hogan did not attend the sick, so she had no
dread of night calls hovering O\"er her innocent slumbers.
But, Mr. Hogan, this time, had made a mistake-the blood
of purity suffused her face, the light of insulted virtue
fl.~shed from her eye, and with the strength of an Agnes or
a Lucy, she gave the chair a push, which sent it and its
sqcrilegious occupant heels over head down the stairs.
Crash went the door, and there lay William and the chair,
and "who could say which was which ?" The gentlemen in
waiting hearing the noise, entered, and what was their
amazement to behold their chosen pastor, lying upon the
floor of the kitchen, his· well greased locks disheveled, and
bruised more severely than he chose to acknowledge, and
the little Heroine of Willing's Alley standing dishcloth in
hand ready to defend herself and honor. "That woman's
crazy," said Mr. H. rising, "without the least provocation,
she threw me do.wn stairs, she's an emissary of Cooper's."
"She's little in size," said John Ashley with a peculiar smile,
but she's big in strength." From that day poor Mary Johnson was never perfectly "right in mind." Her self-imposed
mission was to drive all dogs out of Church. Mass or
*Philadelphia Aurora.
2
�8
"
'
~-
,.
St. :Joseph's C!tzadt, P!ti!addp!tia.
Vespers, or Lenten Service, there was Mary with her stool,
which she placed in the middle of the aisle. Infatuated
animal of the canine species, you made a mistake in entering St. Joseph's Church, if you thought you would there
find a haven of repose for your weary members.-1\Iary
Johnson is there; think not because she is so quiet, telling
her beads, or gazing at the Holy Tabernacle, you can enter
unperceived; you have not crossed the threshold, no one
else may have perceived you, ·when up jumps 1\Iary. Now,
doggy, doggy, you had better go out-take the word of a
friend and-go at once. You need not think to frighten her
by your "bark;" why, Lion, she's not afraid of your "bite."
Rover,. none of your tricks, skip and jump, yes, flourish
your interesting nan'ati·pe, you cannot blarney Mary; that's ·
as trite as a twice-told tale to her. Juno, poor pet, suppose
not that your mistress' skirts shall prove a "Fairy-Godmother's cloak," to render you invisible. Doggies, Mary
has said that you shall leave the Church, and Mary's fiat
is irrevocable. Come, nice fellows, come now, come, go out.
Is there any rule without an exception ? This exterminating statute had one solitary reservation. Every day before
first Mass; a tan-colored quadruped walked serenely and
stately up the middle aisle, until ht:;)lrrived at the ten-plate
piece of furniture so useful for imparting warmth to man
and brute, and there he laid him down and slept till service
was over, when he rejoined his master at the door. Many
.wondered why this privilege. No reliable data can be found
to show when and how or what he did to propitiate the
lady of the stool.
For many years, Mary made her home, as a kind of domestic and a kind of protege, with the family of Mr. Philip
Smith. She died a few years since, when an inmate of St.
Ann's Widow's Asylum.
It is sad to state that Norah and Mary were not the only
persons whose reason was affected by Mr. Hogan's misconduct-happy it would be if the faith of none had been
�St. :Joseph's Clwrclz, Philadclplzio.
9
d,trk::ned. All who favored him came to an unfortunate
end. It used to be a common remark: "So and so is dead
-wasn't it a fearful death? "No wonder'' wo~ld be the
response, "they were Hoganites." I know of but two remaining, a very aged lady and her son; and I must confess
I wait with not a little curiosity to hear. of their death.
~he ancient dame I have not seen for }'ears; the son is a
penitent of one of Ours, and daily \'isits the Church and
devoutly prays before Him, \Vho has never been petitioned
in vain for pardon;· and if humble prayer can avert the
temporal punishment due to certain sins, I hope his death
will be a proof of it. It is also sad to notice that the son
of one of the leaders of that unholy schism-whose memory his Country will cherish for ages, if she lasts so long, as
her savior-died yesterday, Nov. 6th, 1872, outside of the
pale of th:: Church, and his funeral services are to· take
place at St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Church_:_Truly
the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children to
many generations.
· Upon the arrival of Very Rev. Ludovicus Barth in July,
the general expectation of clerks and laity was that Mr.
Hogan would be dismissed from St. Joseph's, but in this
they were sadly mistaken. The very day of his arrival
visiting the School-house, one very dear to me rel<~ted to
him the reports concerning ''the new priest," for the truth
of some of which she could vouch, having seen them.
"Susan," said the Very Reverend Administrator, "he's
Irish and the new Bishop is Irish, let the Irish settle it
among themselves." On returning to Conewago, towards
the end of the month, he appointed Mr. Hogan, an unknown
young man, with no papers to show that he had ever been
ordained, to preside at the meeting of the trustees of St.
Mary's, over the Rev. Patrick Kenny and Terence Me Girr,
who had for years officiated at St. Joseph's. They, together with Rev. Michael Hurley 0. S. A., immediately sent a
protest to most Rev. Ambrose Marechal, D. D., Archbishop
•
�10
•
•'
·
St. :Josepk's Clmrc!z, P!ti!adclp!tia.
of Baltimore. This act of Very Rev. Ludovicus Barth was
the proximate beginning of the troubles that distracted the
Church of Philadelphia for over twelve years.
At the latter part of August, and again towards the close
of September, Rev. Ludovicus Barth was at St. Joseph's,
and again and again the misconduct of Mr. Hogan was reported to him, and his invariable answer was "the new
Bishop will soon be here." Rev. Fathers Me Girr and
Kenny having to live in the same house with the person,
could say but little, but Father Hurley, who made the
"Limerick-'boy," the staple of each Sunday's discourse,
remarking upon this answer of the Very Rev. Administrator said : "St. Michael may be here to-morrow and St.
Michael may be here the next day, but Lucifer is here today."_
In the Baptismal Registry, at this time, we find these records:. ''1820, Sept. 27 a Rev. D. Josepho Correa de Sorra.
Legato extraordinario et plenipotentiario Regis fidelissimi
etc. ~tc. Maria Anna nata 21 Junii 1817 in Camden N.J. de
Thoma Cooper et Elizabeth Cooper L c. Sponsor Edwardus Joseph Correa. Ab Eod. Helena nata Pphiae die 15 Januarii 1820 de Thoma Cooper et Elizabeth Cooper L. c.
Sponsor fuit Edward us Cooper." * ~-·.
At the beginning of December, Right Rev. Henry Conwell, D. D., second Bishop of Philadelphia, arri·.-ed at St.
Joseph's, and immediately began his pastoral duties. His
first record reads :
"die 5 robris
} Cornelius Steel, filius Jac. et Elizae.
a. R. R. H. Conwell, natus Philadae. Septembris die 20.
Epo. Phae.
Susceptus fuit a Sara Bowles Sola. t
Poor Bishop Conwell ! his was an eventful life. When
he was appointed Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of
Armagh, he thought his ambition satisfied, but when offered
the Bi~hopric of Philadelphia, though at an age when most
* Baptismal Registry, p. 330.
t Bap. Reg. p, 332.
�St. :Joseph's Cll!lrclt, Pltiladelpltia.
I I
men are thinking to retire and prepare for death, he was
re.1dy to say: "Lo, here I am; send me." One of his first
acts, upon receiving the announcement of his appointment,
was to write to his eldest niece to accompany him to America, saying that she had been servant long enough to her
brothers and sisters, now she should be mistress in the
palace of her uncle, the· Lord Bishop. One of· Bishop
Conwell's greatest mistakes was the surrounding himself
with so many nieces and nephews. But the estimable lady
of whom I have written above, * was destined, as I shall
probably be called upon to explain in Part Third, with her
saintly husband to become a martyr to justice for the sake.
of St. Joseph's. She is still living, at a vecy advanced age.
She may cry out with the Royal Singer of Israel : "W o is
me, that my sojourning is prolonged. I have dwelt. with
the inhabitants of Cedar. With them that hated peace, I
was peaceable: when I spake to them, they fought against
me without cause." Surely "old age is a crown of dignity
when it is found in the ways of justice," and every day is
but keeping her from "that crown of life which God has
promised to those that fear him."
Bishop Conwell was a man of no mean ability; his latinity was classical, and especially his ecclesiastical Latin was
much admired. He was a Greek scholar, spoke French
fluently and Spanish and Italian with but little difficulty.
His knowledge of theology, moral and dogmatic, was solid,
and he had not neglected the study of Canon Law. Unfortunately he was not a fluent preacher in his native language;
-but it must not be supposed that he was an ungrammatical or inelegant speaker. Those pamphlets that were so
numerous some years ago, purporting to be reports of his
sermons at St. Mary's, were the productions of his enemies,
-of John T. Sullivan and John Ashley, or it was supposed
so at the time. The Bishop's personal appearance was not
* l\Irs. Nicholas Donnelly.
�12
St. Yoscp!t"s Clmrc!t, P,'ti!addj/tia.
unpleasing. \Vhen he arrived he was over se\'enty, tall,
straight, muscular, and, when occasion required, not deficient
in dignity. Though of uncertain temper, he was kindhearted, forgiving, and a bountiful giver. Had he possessed
the eloquence, or even the polished manner of \Vm. Vincent
Harold, the misstep of Very Rev. Ludovicu-.; Barth would
not ha\·e been so prolific in evil. ·
Upon his arrival, he found domiciled in his own family a
young man, of whose misconduct he had heard reports
in Irdand ; ~n'd a few days after his arrival he received a
letter from Bishop Connelly of New York, stating in full
his disobedience to him. \Vhen questioned as to his exeat,
his answer was the same given some months before to
Father Kenny, that his papers would soon arrive. Being a
stranger in the country and not wishing to disapprove of
the acts of the Very Rev. Father Administrator, Bishop Conwell wrote for advice to his superior, Most Rev. Ambrose
Marechal, D. D., and on the zoth of December, publicly
withdrew from \Vm. Hogan, all faculties he might seem to
have derived from the quasi approval of Very Rev. Ludovicus Barth. This was the signal for revolt, and a sad, sad
revolt it proved.
The be~inning of I 821 finds Bishop' .Conwell officiating
at St. Mary's, without any trouble from Mr. Hogan or the
trustees; his Assistant being Rev. George Sheufelter, * and
Rev. James Cummiskey, t whom the Bishop afterwards
surnamed the "Reverend Pedler," from the fact of his employing agents, and himself travelling at times, to sell
Catholic books, especially "Christian Perfection" by Fr.
Rodriguez, S. J. He was an elde.r brother of Eugene Cummiskey, for many years the Catholic bookseller of Philadelphia.
Another very embarrassing circumstance in the early
history o.f the Church in this Diocese was the visit of the
* Bap. Reg. p. 339.
tDo. p. 340.
�St. Yosep!t's Clwrclt, Pltiladdpltia.
13
Right Reverend John England, D. D., first Bishop o"f
Charleston, to the City of Philadelphia. Before this time,
the trustees knew they were insubordinate, but when they
gathered froi:n the Bishop that they were on an equality with
their diocesan and ought to, not migltt or could, appeal to
Rome, offering himself, to be appointed their agent,* the:r
conduct became insupportable. The Bishop, i. e. the
Bishop of Philadelphia, remained at home at St. Joseph's,
which Church he now made his Cathedral, and the faithful
Catholics flo~ked around him. Shortly after he enlargecl
the Church to almost its present dimensions, that it might
accommodate the crowds. In June he added to the number of his assistants, Rev. Samuel Cooper, of happy memory, and in the latter part of the month ordained Rev. Thomas
Heyden.
Of Rev. Samuel Cooper many traditions were curret1t
some years since. He was an accomplished convert, of
noble appearance, and at the time of his conversion was the
Captain of a Merchantman. Hearing a young lady admire
his beautiful teeth, it is related, he returned to his ship,
drove a large spike into the mast and against it dashed out
his teeth, declaring that nothing about him should be occasion of sin to another. He was frequently tempted against
faith iri the Sacrament of Sacraments: one .day when saying
Mass, he prayed God to give him some sign by which he
would be freed forever after from doubts ; as he pronounced
the omnipotent words, the host was changed into a lump of
bleeding flesh. l\Iy informant, the father' of two of Ours,
said that he and many in the Church witnessed the miracle.
He was unquestionably a· man of more than ordinary virtue, and had the honor of enjoying vVm. Hogan's particular
enmity, which· I consider a very high panegyric.
The year 1822, in Phil~delphia, is ever memorable with
an unhappy remembrance. The early part.of the year was
*Vide Bishop Englund's Works. Vol. 5. p. 109 to 213.
�St. :Joseph's Clwrclz, Plzi!adclplzia.
employed by the trustees in building new pews and renting
them to their partisans to influen<:e the vote at the comingelections. The trustees took possession of the Church and
lest any bishopite should enter,-a great maxim at the time
was "possession is nine-tenths of the law"-it was kept barricaded with a watchman constantly on guard. My father
with other hot-headed young Irishmen determined that get
possession of the Church before the day of election, they
<.uou!d, if they had to sacrifice a limb, yea, life for it. Good
Father Cooper was taken into confidence but he disapproved
of the plot.~ .. "No matter," said they, "that was because he
was not an Irishman and only half a Catholic." Such of
our family as were living at that time resided in Marshall's
Court, now called Landis Street. The windows of the
house overlooking St. Mary's graveyard, it was a very
fworable spot for observing the enemy's manreuvres, but
there was a difficulty in the way, my mother, like Father
Cooper, was not an Irishman and only half a Catholic. The
house where, I think, Bishop Wood was born, but however
that n1ay be, the house where Bishop Kenrick afterwards
took up his residence and began his Seminary, was chosen
as a "point d'appui," whilst the tomb-stones made many a
convenient cachette for watching the ;novements of the besieged. Many a mysterious bundle~ \Vas seen carried by
strong men into the house of the God of peace, the Church
built with Father Greaton's money, but try as they would
the watchman could never be caught napping. I hope our
good bishopites never suffered from rheumatism from the
many hours they spent on the damp ground of early Spring,
behind the eulogistic monuments of the dead. The Mon:.
day of Holy Week came, time was growing short. It was
well nigh noon, the daughter of the vigilant watchman is
seen approaching, forty of the forty-six days of abstinence
are passed,-what's that which smells so savory? never
mind, John M ..... , hidden behind the tomb of Bishop
Egan, you have tasted nothing for eighteen hours save
�St. :Joseph's Clwrclt, Plti!addpltia.
IS
water and a drop, just a little drop, of American wine, what
does it concern you what a Hoganite has for' dinner?
Hark! was that a whistle? no it cannot be, it sounded as
but an echo. \Vhat's the matter? From the poiJtt d appui
creeps like a serpent a man of forty-from a second-story
window leap.; like a hare a stalwart youth of twenty. 'What!
are they going to burst as burglars into the holy Church !
No, they intend to enter through the principal exit, if not
entrance. For once the hungry watchman has been caught
off his guard. The nicely-browned catties with fragrant
mocha, a1id hot biscuits were too much for hUiigry Barney
B .... , he forgot to bolt and bar the door. The citadel is
tak~n and R1rney B .... , almost before he had done away
with one I uscious catty, is a prisoner, elbow bound to elbow.
The schoolmaster writes a hasty note to my Lord, the
Bishop, announcing the capture. The "female daughter" of
the captive was deputed to carry the important document
to \Villing's Alley. In the meanwhile the victors scoured
the field of victory; the galleries were found lined with
bricks and stones, and when Father Me Girr came, the unwilling bearer of a brief but explicit despatch from the
Commander-in-General, he found more than one pistol in
the holy tabernacle. . The despatch read thus: "Go home
and mind your own business. ffi Henry Conwell, Epius.
Philaae". Just think of this hapless triumvirate, for nearly
a month they and others had risked so many dangers to
obtain for their Bishop his own Church, and now when
success was theirs, their thanks were, "Go home and
mind your own business." Father Me Girr released Barney B .... , and John, Pat and .... with spoiled appetites,
hastened home to their catfish, coffee and biscuits.
On Tuesday of Easter week, the annual election of trustees of St. Mary's Church took place. The Bishopites
might as well have let it pass unnoticed, it was already determined that the Leamy, Meade party should be the elected.
But no, if they did not get the election they should, at least,
3
�.I
16
St. Yostph's Clzurch, Philadelphia.
have the fight. Sunrise saw young men and buxom maids,
who had no vote, trudging in from Germantown, Manayunk.
and Chester, and Darby, aud even from over the waters, to
do and die, for Bishop and for Church. It was on this day
of days, that an aged gentleman uttered the memorable
threat: "if they do not treat the Bishop better I'll go over
till Jarsey and niver come back till Americay agin." But
this is no joking matter, it was no comedy, it was in more
respects than one a tragedy. Persons at this day can tell
you,how brick:s were thrown from the windows of the Church
upon the head of the hapless Bishopites whilst striving to
vote,* how young men would stand in Indian file and the
backmost would ascend a cellar door, so as to give greater
impetus, whilst the head of the foremost made a most convenient battering-ram to butt between the kidneys of some
thoughtless i-Ioganite, who was laughing at the funny sight
of some Bishopite rendered lwrs de rombat and hastening
home with bloody head or crippled limb. Both parties
can tell you how the iron rail swayed backwards and forwards, like a reed ·shaken by the wind, and at last fell with
a crash, that caused a piercing shriek of anguish from many
a wife and mother, kneeling in the corner of her room, with
her little ones, praying for the dea·r ones. "0 God, save
the father of my children," was the cry of one most dear to
me, as she heard the crash. "Susan," was the stoical remark of her Quaker ancestress "thou seest now what these
Catholics are." That carping Quakeress, some years after,
became a Catholic, and her bones repose beneath the altar
of St. Mary's Church, Lebanon. Yes! that iron railing
fell with a crash, and many a heart that beat loyally for
Catholicity, for a time, was stilled in anguish, and the casket of many a whole-souled Catholic was mangled and
*Henry Smith ~I. D., son-in-law of Dr. Horner who sometime afterwards became a Catholic. The house of Dr. Smith's father, was directly
opposite to St. ~Iary's. The Doctor was at that time a lad of fifteen, but
his description of events is very graphic.
�St. :Joseph's Clwrclz, Plziladclplzia.
17
disfigured for life. And some of those, who then left the
Church of their Baptism, might tell you how while Rt.
Rev. Henry Conwell, D. D, and Rev. Samuel Cooper, and
Rev. Terence Me Girr and Rev. Patrick Kenny, yea, and
Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold, 0. S. D., stood at the N. E.
Corner of 4th street and ·willing's Alley, oil-stock in hand
and pixis near the trembling heart, to follow the bleeding
forms of the wounded into the house of Charles Johnson,
Sr., and other good Samaritans, Mr. \Vm. Hogan, in concert with the delicate, lady-like daughters of rebel Catholics raised shouts of laughter that could be heard above
the shrieks of the wounded ;-which unnatural cachinnations, thanks be to a God, who can draw good out of evil !
has brought more than one Protestant who heard it, into
the happy fold of Christ's Church. lt was truly a fearful
day, still with all the odds against them, Joseph Synder,
. John Carrell Sr., Cornelius Tiers, Dennis Me Cready,
Nicholas Stafford, William Myers, Nicholas Esling, and
James Enen, Sr., were elected trustees of St. Mary's Church
r;::ceiving 437 votes, although J. Cadwalader, Esq. decided
that John Leamy, John Ashley and their party received 497·
It may be 'true that they did, but the excess came from the
votes of the occupants of those pews which had been erected after the withdrawal of the Bishop, whose consent was
necessary, as President, according to the charter. Unhappy day! The difficulty still remained.
Shortly before this fracas,· Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold
had returned to Philadelphia, af the request of Bishop Conwell. Between the time of the invitation and his arrival,
slanderous tongues had been at work, and the sleeping
jealousy of "my Lord" had been awakened, so'that when
Father Harold arrived he was coldly received, which to
him was a new style of reception, an·d which his natural
pride never forgot, but, I hop.::, forgave. In the meanwhile
the interposition of the civil authorities had been invoked,
and Mayor Waterman standing upon the tomb of Bishop
�18
St. 7oseplt's C!mrc!t, P!tiladdp!tia.
Egan proclaimed Right Reverend Henry Conwell, Second
Roman Catholic Bishop of Philadelphia, the legal pastor of
St. Mary's Church.
For a short while there was peace, and Rev. \Vm. Vincent Harold acted as pastor, but the truce was of short du-_
ration and the sacrilegious Hogan again officiated at the altar of St. Mary's.
In the early part of 1823, Rev. John ·walsh was stationed
at St. Joseph's,* and a little later a French priest who
signed himself L'atheley. t In October, Rev. John Ryan,
another un;re of Rev. \Vm. Vincent Harold, appears upon
the stage. Poor Father Harold ! as Bishop Conwell had
too many nephews and nieces, so he had too, too many uncles. In 1825, Rev. C. Ferry becomes, for a short while,
one of the canons or prebendaries of St. Joseph's Cathedral. t
On the gth of January of the following year, we find this
record; "A Rev. G. Hogan Josephus Thompson Desmond
in statu N. Jersey, natus die 16 Oct. 1822 de Jacobo O'Desmond et Clementina Lloyd Thompson. Sponsores fuerunt
Archibaldus Randall et Agnes Barcley." § This record
shows that even after the appointment of Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold as pastor of St. Mary's,:t!Je infamous Hogan
still enjoyed a quasi recognition by the Bishop, and from
the fact of Judge Randall's being God-father, that he still
had a standing in respectable society.
In the year 1827, ex-Father Baxter was stationed at St.
Joseph's where he died, so~ewhat unexpectedly on May
23rd, 1827. Rev. John Hughes, who ;had been ordained
October I 5th, 1826, writing of this death to his great confidant, Rev. Thomas Heyden, indulges in some very forcible,
if extremely trite, remarks. He writes : "What does it now
matter for him that he was persecuted or applauded, if he
has merjted the rec~ption which the good and faithful ser-
* Bap. Reg. p. 390.
tDo. p. 2.
t Do. p. 81. ·
~Do.
p. 86.
�St. J'osep!t's C/mrclt, Plziladdplzia.
vant, shall receive from his Lord ! The sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared to that eternal'
weight of glory that shall be revealed hereafter."*
In the beginning of 1827, Rev. James Smith was, for a
very short while, stationed at St. Joseph's.
As early as February, trouble had been made between
Father Harold and the Bishop.
Father Harold, influenced as his friends supposed, by his uncle Fr. John Ryan
0. P., had imbibed some of the lax ideas of the trustee sys·
tern. He had rendered good service to the venerable Bishop
during the Hogan and T. J. O'Mealley scandals; some of
his replies to the effusions, which Leamy, Ashley, and the
Heaven-stricken Fagan made in behalf of Mr. Hogan, further
displayed his clear logic and scholarly knowledge of the
English language, and his answers to Hon. Joseph Ingersoll show that he had a considerable knowledge of law.
Still he was high tempered and my Lord of Philadelphia
was not a little arbitrary, and when two hard bodies strike ·
with sufficient force, there are generally some sparks to be
seen. This disagreement between the Bishop and his Secretary became so serious that on the 3rd of April, 1827 •.
Bishop Conwell suspended the Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold,
who however continued to reside in his house and sit at
his table.
Three weeks after, the trustees of St. Mary's
protested against this suspension, stating that they had
"known the Rev. Wm. Vincent Harold for a period approaching twenty years, and that he had been always esteemed not only by the congregation, but by the citizens of
Philadelphia, of every religious persuasion, as a clergyman
of irreproachable mor<~ls, eminent zeal in the .discharge of his
pastoral duties, and of talents which have reflected singular
honor o~ the Church." Whilst I do not acknowledge the
right of laics to protest in cases of suspension, still the
fact that such ·names as Jerome Keating, Edward Barry,
*Hazzard's Life of Archbishop. Hughes, p. 75.
�20
St. Yoseplz's C/wrclt, P!ti!addplzia.
John Keating, John Carrell, Dennis Me Cready, Cornelius
. Tiers, John Diamond, Joseph Donath, Lewis Ryan, Charles
Johnson, Patrick Hayes, Joseph Nancrede, l\L D., and
Timothy Desmond were signed to the protest, shows that
Father Harold was held in high esteem by very worthy
Catholics. On October 17th, of the same year, Rt. Reverend Henry Conwell writes a note to Archibald Randall;
Esq., Secretary of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary's
Church, appointing the Rev. vVm. Vincent Harold and the
Rev. John-,Ryan to the pastoral charge of St. Mary's
Church. ~till the Bishop and the Pastors of St. Mary's
never afterwards lived amicably together; and early in
1827, the two Dominicans took up their residence in the
house formerly occupied by the amorous Hogan, where
they continued to reside until after their puerile and scandalous appeal to the government for protection from their
religious superiors. Dear Father Wm. Vincent Harold l
· what an example art thou of the dangers of brilliant talents
when not guarded by the spirit of humility! Louis Clapier
could write of thee to a friend, "he is /wmo factus ad zmguem ;"-that friend could write to his wife: "if Father
Hars>ld does not abstain more from the company of some
of our acquaintances, I fear he will. become u1z sot a triple
etage." Poor Father Harold! he ~erred most egregiously,
but thanks to Him, the Father of all good gifts, he sincerely
repented and shortly before his death, when Superior of the
Dominicans of Ireland, he wrote to a lady friend: "If I
only could cancel those unfortunate days, or make proper
reparation ! how my heart bleeds and my cheek crimsons
when I think of them !"
In the beginning of this year, Rev. Terence Donaghue was
stationed at St. Joseph's, where he remained until he built St.
Michael's Church, in Kensington, and went to reside there,
on the return of our Fathers to St. Joseph's. This Reverend
gentleman, "whose memory is still with praise," was a man
of erudition ; it is said by those who had an opportunity of
�St. :Joseph's Church, Plziladelplzia.
21
knowing, that he furnished to the Rev. John Hughes most.
of his matter in his famous controversy with the bitter
bigoted Breckenridge. How that may have been I cannot
say, but this I remember of him, that he was a hard-working
mortified priest. For some time after he had built St. Michael's Church, whose present congregation is one of the
most numerous, wealthy and liberal of the diocese, he resided in the basement of that Church, and many a weary
·Friday, have I, ·a child of five winters and summers,
trudged over two miles, to carry him his dinner; because
he happened to express approval of my sister's potatocakes; while Saturday's holiday wa~ passed in collecting
the weekly "fip-penny-bit" contributions, which another
sister had promised to attend to, but had left to "bub."
Among the contributors were the Mother and Aunt of
Commodore Me Donough of Lake-Champlain-glory, who
never allowed the infant collector to depart without receiv.ing viaticum, in the form of sugar-crackers and a bunch of
raisins.
In the middle of February of this year, Rev. John·
Hughes, who since his ordination had been chiefly occupied
in preaching and instructing converts, began other pastoral
duties at St. Joseph's; his first baptism was on the 14th of
this month.* In May, Rev. John Reilley filled one of the
places at his Lordship's table, left vacant by the seceding
Dominicans. He remained but a short while.
The year 1828, a year truly suited i11ja1tdum rmovare dolorem, was the year of the lamentable misstep of Father
Harolct, referred to above, but as he had at that time segregated himself from St. Joseph's, an account of that deplorable insubordination does not properly belong to "What I
know about St. Joseph's." t
*Bap. Reg. p. 14.
tOn the the 30th day of the year, as it appears from the Marriage Registry, p. :z.6z, the
Right Rev. Ordinary of the Diocese witnessed and blessed a matrimonial contract, the form of
which, for brevity sake, I would recommend to missionaries:
"Anno Domini millesimo octingentesimo vigesimo octavo, Die 30 Januarii, Conjuncti sunt in
Matrimonio, Dispensatione Concessa in tribus Bannis ... Andreas Maria Ignatius Caravadossy
~
�22
St. :Joseph's Church, Philadelphia.
I have already stated that upon the appointment of Rev:
Henry Conwell, as Bishop of Philadelphia, he wrote for his
eldest niece to accompany him to his new diocese-his was
a numerous family, and as long as he lived he had plenty,
perhaps too many, nephews and nieces disporting themselves about the Episcopal mansion. This young lady,
however, soon changed her name and residence, becoming
Mrs. Nicholas Donnelly. She had married a teacher of
the classics, _one who had the honor of teaching Latin and
Greek to Illany who afterwards became priests, and to some
who afterwa.'rds by the imposition of hands conferred on
others the same high dignity of the priesthood. This
saintly gentleman, I use the word after reflection, was willing, yes desirous, to pass his Classical Academy, numbering over two hundred pupils, to the Society. And he
did this not from a desire of worldly lucre. He was a man
who could act from holy motives, a man who was not only
,\·illing.to, but actually did "suffer persecution for justice
sake.:: "Hands were laid upon him, he was persecuted
and delivered up to prisons," because, as the husband of
the chief heiress of the Rt. Rev. Henry Conwell, he would
not claim as personal property "the p!ace of many graves."
de Thoet Eques Auratus ordinis Regalis et Militaris SS. Mauritii et Lazari d ordini! quoque de
Soroce, etc., etc. Major Equitum et Consul Generalis Regis Sar~in1ae pro Faederatis Americae
Provindis Nicaea oriundus, Filius legitimus Baronis Victoris Andreae: Caravadossy de Thoet
E 1uitis Aurati ordinis Regalis et Militaris S. S. l\lauritii et Lazari •••. et ,.1ariae Genovesae
Grimaldi de Sauze defunctae, qui fuerunt ambo Nicaea oriundi •••• Et Maria Antonietta Herzilia ·D'Aurainville Filia legitima Ludovici Nicholai D' Aurainville Equitis ordinis Sti. Ludovici et
joannac: Clarae Elizabethae Lecurieux Chalon, apud lnsulam Martinique oriundae.
'"Testes adfuerunt Joachim Barraza Pereira Equitis ordinis Christi Consul Generalis Regis
Portugalliae pro Faederatis Americae Provinciis et Severin us Loritz. Consui Generalis'kegis Sueviae, etc., etc., etc, Item H. D' Aurainville, N. Garibaldi vice Consul ct Cancellarius Sardiniae.
""CHALON KLOSSER,
j. H. ROBERJOT,
ANTONIUS TESSEIRE.
''Qui omnes mecum subsignarunt apud Ecclesiam Sti. josephi Philadelphia Die et Anno qui bus
supra.
jOACHIM BARROZA PEREIRA,
SEVERJNUS LORITZ,
J. H. ROBERJOT,
A. TESSEIRE,
HENRY VtLOISE CARAVADOSSY DE THOET,
H. J)'AURAI~VILLE,
CHALON KLOSSER,
H. D'AURAINVILLE,
J. D'AURAINVILLE,
A. D'AtrRAINVILLE,
N. GARIBALDI, Vice Consul et Chancelier de sardaigne.
In cujus rei fidem subscripsi.
HENRJCUS CONWELL,
EPISCOPUS PHILADELPHIAE.
ffi
�St. J'oscp!t's Clwrclt, Plti!addpltia.
23
He gave with a willing and liberal hand of his means to the
poor, he gave from a well-regulated mind and heart to
young men about to consecrate themselves to the service
of God "the good counsels of a friend-sweet to the soul,"
and the Lord blessed him, ''his heart, like that of Asa, was
perfect with the Lord all his days," and when standing by
his deathbed, the cry went silently up from my heart of
hearts: "Let my soul die the death of the just and my last
end be like to his." . The body of the second Bishop of
Philadelphia has been removed to the noble Cathedral of
Sts. Peter and Paul, and the bones of Nicholas Donnelly lie
in the former tomb of his Episcopal uncle-in-law, in the
principal tomb of that cemetery, which his fortitude and
sense of justice secured to its proper owners, the pastors of
St. Joseph's. "\Vhen I am dead, bury me in the sepulchre
wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside
his bones."
It was at his house in Lombard street, above Third, that
some lady members of St. Joseph's congregation, of whom
the chief spirit was Miss Catharine Whelan, met in the
beginning of October, 1829, and formed a societyfor the
support of Catholic orphans. The number of orphans was
small, only four, but this meeting was the germ of St. John's
Orphan Asylum, which now feeds, clothes and educates
over three hundred and fifty lads. The children were
placed under the care of the Sisters of Charity, who already
had a school at No. 4I2 Locust street, numbering over one
hundred pupils. And among the good daughters of Charity were Sisters Aloysius (Lilly of Frederick), Olympia and
Fidelis, the very mention of whose names, causes the tear
of fond remembrance to start in the eye of many a middleaged Catholic of to-day. This f!leeting was held at the
suggestion of Rev. John Hughes, who was so much interested in it, that he drew up a constitution and a set of rules
for the go·.-ernment of its managers. As long as he remained in .Philadelphia he was its chief patron, and in after _
4
�24
St. :Joseph's Omrch, Philadelphia.
years, when Archbishop of the great metropolis, having the
care of Churches, Colleges, Hospitals, and Asylums upon
his shoulders, he still felt interest in the Asylum of St.
John's.
In the month of April of this year, we find * the record
of two baptisms by Father Cooper at Manayunk. This is
the first mention of this suburb, whiCh now has its two
Churches, its female Academy, and its parochial schools.
For sometime, during. the absence of Bishop Conwell in
Rome, where -he had been .called to explain his conduct,
with regard to his unfortunate compromise with the Trustees of St. Mary's, DeCourcy t informs us that the Very
Rev. vVm. Matthews, of Washington, D. C., was appointed
Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Philadelphia.
His care seems to have been confined to the clergy; he does
not seem to have performed any pastoral duties, as I do not
find his name either in the Baptismal or Marriage Registries.
I have never heard him mentioned by the old Catholics,
and those I have lately questioned, have no remembran.ce
of him, and one of them, then a young gentleman member
of St. Joseph's and St. Mary's, says the first knowledge he
had of Father Matthew's having had anything to do with
the Church of Philadelphia, was read-ing it in De Courcy.
The summer of 1830 brings to us Right Rev. Francis Patrick Kenrick, D .. D., Bishop of Aratlz in partibus, and Coadjutor and Administrator of Philadelphia. Well may Rev.
Mr. Hughes, shortly after his arrival, write to Rev. Thos.
Heyden, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," though the "et in tcnn
pax hominibus" did not come as soon as he thought it would.
If "the neck of the bad principle was broken," it continued
to wriggle more or less vigorously, until the arrival of "the
little French Father who tells stories," t thereby gaining
the hearts of the children and, through them, the consciences 'of the parents.
* Bap. Reg., p. 160.
t Catholic Church in America, p. 233.
t Rev. Joseph Felix Barbelin, S. J.
�St. :Joseph's C!turclz, Plziladdpltia.
25
Bishop Conwell had been striving to prepare himself for
this blow, and a broken spirit together with the infirmities
of old age and incipient blindness made him, most of the
time, reconciled to the orders of Rome,-but at times, the
old-man would assert itself, and on such occasions he would
express himself more forcibly than elegantly. This happened upon the arrival of his Coadjutor. Being informed
that Bishop Kenrick was down stairs and wished to pay his
l"espects to him. "Tell the boy," said the venerable Bishop,
"Tell t~e boy to go at once to Aratlz. The Bishop of Philadelphia is old enough to mind his own business."
Bishop Kenrick, finding that he could not dwell peace-fully in the Episcopal mansion, and not wishing to make his
home in the house where Hogan had lived, took up his
residence in South Fifth street, but pontificated at St. Joseph's, one of whose pastors, Rev. John Hughes, he made
his Secretary. vVe find his first record in the Baptismal
Registry. "1830 Julii die 27, baptizavi Margaritam filiam
Jacobi Brason et Bridgittae Quinn, uxoris ejus, nafam die
I o J ulii, Patrino Bernardo Collins, Matrina Margarita
Me Gitton.
ffi
Fl{ANC1SCUS PATR1CIUS,
Epus. Arathensis et Coadj. Phil. *
Although immediately upon his arrival he began to baptize, and attended as faithfully to that priestly function as
any of hi~ assistants, Rev. Mr. Hughes was the favorite the
ladies chose to bless their marriage. The first union that
the new Bishop witnessed and sanctioned was in the second
month of the next year. "1831 Februarii 7a die celebravi
Nuptias inter Patricium Brady et Emiliam Darkey, praesentibus testibus.Me Auley et Georgiana Cary.
ffi
FRANC1SCUS PATR1CIUS,
Epus. Arath. et .Coadjutor Phil.t
* Bap. Reg. p. 168.
t Mar. Reg. p. 280.
�I
St. Yoseplz's Clwrclz, Plziladelplzia.
On the first of April, 1832, Rev. Mr. Hughes preached
his farewell sermon at St. Joseph's and became pastor at
St. John's Church, which he had built. His place was
shortly afterwards filled by Rev. \Vm. ·whelan,* whoremained at St. Joseph's until the removal of the secular
priests.
Very Rev. Francis Dzierozynski, S. J., Vice-Provincial of
the Province of Maryland, in the early part of this year,
wrote to Bishop Kenrick, requesting the restoration of the
Church of St. Joseph to the Society. St. Mary's bei.ng the
Cathedral, tfie incorporation of 1788, and the disturbed
state of its congregation, probably, deterred the saintly man
from asking its restoration, although it belonged to us as
much as St. Joseph's.
The Rt. Rev. Bishop answered, expressing his willingness
to restore St. Joseph's to the Society, but requesting, that,
as he had just appointed Rev. Terence J. Donaghue, Pastor
of St. Joseph's, for the year, and as Father Donaghue's
new Church of St. Michael's would be finished about that
time, o-ur Fathers would defer their return, until the next
year. This they did, returning in April, 1833. This letter
was couched in the kindest terms and preserved among the
arcana of Father Barbelin, S. J.
Thus for nearly a third of a cent{iry, Father Greaton's
glorious little Church has been as "a stranger in a land not
her own," but ·brother Augustinians, Franciscan~ Dominicans, Trappists and Seculars, and even Bishops have watched
over her and cherished her, "even as a nurse cherisheth
her children." During·this time, the faith of her children
had been put to a severe test, and unfortunately some of
them, "being weighed in the balance, have been found
wanting." But God has said to her "return, my daughter,"
to thy first love-and this return will bring not only happiness to St. Joseph's children, but peace, union and prosperity to the Diocese of Philadelphia.
(To be continued.)
* Bap. Reg. p. 229.
�AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MISSION OF
NEW· YORK AND CANADA.
(Continued.)
The Canada branch of our mission was not to absorb all
the aqvantages arising from our first Fr. Superior's visit to
the North ; for, as he was the father of both branches, so
in God's bountiful providence, both were to profit by it.
That of Canada was indebted to him for its very existence ;
that of Kentucky for a member who was greatly to contribute to its prosperity, and to reflect great lustre on the
Society in America: we refer to the Rev. John Larkin, a
priest of St. Sulpice, whom Rev. Father Chazelle during
his stay in Canada received into the Society, and who the
following year, 1840, began his novitiate in Kentucky.
The life of this remarkable man demands more than a passing allusion. Father Larkin was born in 1800, in the county
of Durham, England, and after pursuing his classical studies at Ushaw under the celebrated Dr. Lingard, in the
same class• with the late Cardinal \Viseman, undertook a
journey to Hindostan; and on his return studied theology
at Paris, in the Seminary of St. Sulpice. About the year
1830, being then a priest of the order, he was sent to occupy the chair of philosophy in the Sulpitian college at Montreal. · His very presence gave a new impetus to the studies,
especially to that of the dead languages. For himself, in
expounding his theses to the class, he preferred the language of Aristotle, and so nobly did his pupils emulate his
example,and so well did they succeed under his careful training that they were soon able to copy their master, and were
�28
l'lcw l'ork and Canada llfissiou.
only allowed the choice between the idiom of the Philosopher anrl the language of Cicero.
Fr. Larkin continued in his professorial chair till his entrance into the Society. He was accompanied to Kentucky
by a young Prussian, who in I 841 likewise assumed the
Jesuit habit, and whose mhzistry was, in after time, to be
connected with the earliest days of that last great work of
the Society in America,-that most precious boon of a
zealous father to the Society's children in the ne\v \Vorld\Voodstock College: an institution round which, though
still young,"'S.O many loving memories already cluster, thick
as the running ivy that fringes its own mountain slopes ; a
mansion that "\Visdom has bililt for herself," where the full
training of the Society is extended by devoted Fathers to
deeply grateful sons,-that training, offspring of a saint's
mind o'ershadowed by the Holy Ghost, which of itself
alone if only unimpeded in its slow but all-efficient course
permits our persecuted Mother confidently to count on
heroes where she numbers men ;-a home of brotherly love
which-is daily linking our provinces closer and closer together in the network of charity,-light as the filmy thread
that scarce sustains its pearl of morning dew, but for those
it twines around "indissolubly strong,''~an abode of sanctity that encloses with in its walls more' than one chosen friend
of God, and can already point to the hallowed grove"Where sleep its sainted dead."
And finally, a sanctuary of the Sacred Heart, to which
Jesus has left His name and His Heart forever; where
numbers of the future body-guard of the Church are to be
rendered invulnerable by being steeped in the living waters
that gush from the Source of flll strength, and where the
Fathers who are so untiring in their labors, have even now
received" a pledge of the crown that awaits them and their
children, in the aureole of glory just fallen on the whole
institution; amid the effulgence of which, Woodstock Col-
�New York and Canada 1Jfission.
29
lege, with its closets for study, its halls for disputation, its
green lawns and shady walks for recreation, seems to disappear, while the Sacred Heart rises in its place, open wider
than ever, to be hen<:eforth shrine and study, class-room
and bower for all the inmates. But fond memory, disporting in the dreamy "light of other days," forgets that it is
not now called on to weave a tribute of gratitude, but a
simple historical narrative; we beg pardon and resume our
theme.
·
Fr. Larkin's noviceship was scarcely ended when he was
appointed prefect of studies, and, some months later, president of the day-college· lately opened in Louisville. The
people of that city were not slow in discovering that in the
new president they possessed no ordinary man : and so
completely did he captivate the hearts of all, Catholics as
well as Protestants, that he was invited to deliver the customary oration on our great national holiday, the 4th of
July. Some years previous he had been solicited by a
literary society of the city to lecture before them, instead
of the celebrated John Quincy Adams, who had been prevented by sudden illness from delivering a discourse already
announced, but this time the invitation was tendered to him
by the military themselves. Besides those who had already
heard of Fr. Larkin, crowds of strangers had assembled
even from distant parts of the state to behold the pageantry
of the day in the capital, and listen to the discourse for
the occasion; but what was their ~urprise on seeing ascend the rostrum in the open square, not a military officer,
nor a civil magistrate, but a Catholic priest in cassock, surplice and stole. Now, if ever, had the orator need of all
his power of insinuation; and never perhaps did speaker
wield his exordium with more success. He had been
invited, Fr. Larkin said, to address the assembly by the
military of the city :-he too was a soldier,-but under the·
standard of the cross. They stood before him arrayed in
their warlike costume, uniform, belt and sword ;-would not
�30
.New 1'ork and Canada Jlfission. ·
Ius appearence be out of harmony with theirs had he ad-
dressed them in any other garb than his own uniform, the
insignia of his sacred calling?
The eyes of 20,000 men, riveted from that moment on
the glowing countenance of the minister of the God of
armies, vividly spoke ·his triumph.
His subject was :
True Liberty: the liberty that Christ came to set up
among men ; and for nearly two hours, his rich voice, and
still richer thoughts, filled the ears and mind> of that vast
multitude, w.ho forgot all else as they listened.
Fr. Larkin's eloquence was clear, fervid and heart-felt:
the weapon of the word, in him, was moulded in his broad,
. solid intellect; but before passing to his hearers, it was
plunged into his deep, loving heart: here it received its
temper, keen as the sword's. Perhaps we should describe
it most to the life by applying to it wha:t our English
Homer says of the energetic valor of the younger Atrides,
in the he'at of the conflict :
"He sent l!is soul with e>ery l:mce h!l threw."*
Fr. Larkin aimed his weapon to his hearer's reason, but it
rested not till it had forced its passage to the heart. It was,
in a word, heart speaking to heart, O)a_n to man. No wonder then that the crowds listened spell-bound, breathless ;
and, as men who have been drinking in for a length of time
a delightful melody, even when he has ceased"Listening still they seemed to hear."
A few days later, a journal of the city referred to the profound erudition and the polished style of. this celebrated
Jesuit, as having invested the trite subject of National Independence with a light and beauty till then unknown to his
audience. Seen from a distance, in his rural Sanctuary, it
continued, his commanding form towering above the plat-~------·----------------------
* P_ope's Iliad, Bk. xvii. 1. 647.
The original has simply:
rlxr)YnO"oo iJol.)p( <pa<:l><p.
l. 57 4.
�lVcw York and Cauada fi!ission.
form until it almost reached the branches of the trees
.above; his sacerdotal vestments contrasting with the brilliant uniforms around; his animated figure and commanding
gesture, fixing the attention of the steady soldier and the
respectful citizen-Father Larkin reminded us of scenes
in the Middle Ages, when an humble minister of the Roman Church \\'OUld review the Christian legions, which,
bristling with steel, marched to the rescue of the Holy
.Sepulchre. * But more serious matters than lecturing now
daimed Father Larkin's attention. The College that had
been entrusted to his care was far from being prosperousit was only·a private resi.dence fitted up for class rooms, and
had· never yet numbered a hundred students. Fr. Larkin
conceived the plan of erecting a grand edifice, to be in ·
e\·ery way worthy of the name he intended it should bear,
Loyola College.
His plan approved, he went to work at once, and
"'Vhat he greatly thought, he nobly dared."
A fine piece of land was purchased at some distance from
the City, and before long, the massive granite walls had
risen some fifteen feet above the ground, when an event
occurred, already alluded to in our account of Father Chazelle's death, which completely changed the destinies of
our mission, and transported our toils and labors to an
entirely new field of action.
During the thirteen years ot its existence it had risen
from the original four members, till, in 1844, it numbered,
including those in Canada, thirty-nine, of whom nineteen
'~'ere priests, three scholastics, ten coadjutor brothers, and
seven novices; but it had never as yet been favored by any
gladdening visit from the centre of unity in the Society.
In 1845, the joyful news came that Rev. Fr. Boulanger
had been deputed to visit the French missions in America.
*Louisville Advertiser: apud Daurignac's Hist. of the Soc. of Jesus
Yo!. 2. p. 314.
·
5
�.J
"Vcw York and Callada .ilfissiiJJt.
.;
For some years- back there had been question, at different
epochs, of a visit from this Father, then our Provincial, but
obstacles had always prevented the projected journey, until
the present year, when, being relieved of his duties as.
Provincial by Rev. Fr. Rubillon, he was named Visitor by
l\lost Rev. Fr. Roothaan; and Fr. J. B. Hus assigned him
as his companion. The two Fathers reached St. Mary's,
Kentucky, on the 14th of June.
Rev. Fr. Boulanger was a man of nerve and discernment:
he requir~d no very considerable time to decide upon any
matter once he had grasped it in all its bearings. Such a
man was needed, for-several vital questions had been pending for years, and were, in fact, definitely settled during his
stay among us.
The first was the absolute refusal to receive the College of
Bardstown, which had, ever since our Fathers' arrival, been
repeatedly pressed on their acceptance.
The second was of still greater moment. From the very
first entrance of the Society into Kentucky, opinions had
been divided as to the final success of the undertaking.
There were indeed human considerations enough to cast a
deep gloom over the still uncertain future: we were actually
in the wild woods, not even an ordi~_ary country road being
visible for miles around; Catholics were few, and poor at
that, Protestants surrounded us on all sides ; and moreover
'the brothrely intercourse essential to union could hardly be
kept up between the colony of the Society lately planted in
Canada and that of Kentucky, when so great a distance
separated the two branches of the same family stock. To
crown all, the number of novices was so small as to leave
f\O hope of replacing the already silvered veterans, whom
old age and ceaseless toil would soon be sending to their
rest.
Whilst our Very Rev. Fr. Visitor was weighing these
items of dissatisfaction with the advantage of a prolonged
stay in Kentucky, and seems::d to doubt for a time, to which
�l'lcw York and Canada .llfission.
33
::;ide! the scales inclined, a letter arrived from the newly-appointed Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev. John Hughes,
which at once stopped the oscillation of the balance. The
L~tter contained a request that Rev. Fr. Boulanger would
.accept the Bishop's new College of St John, situated at
.Fordham, about ten miles from New York; and concluded
by asking an immediate interview, as his Lordship was
~oon to set out for Europe. Indecision formed no part of
Bishop Hughes' character, and when he had to deal with a
man of like disposition, neither time nor words were lost.
It was agreed to transfer to St. John's all the members of
the Society then in Kentucky.
\Vhen it became noised abroad that the Jesuits were
going to leave Kentucky, both Catholics and Protestants,
who saw themselves about to be deprived of the honor of
having a College in their midst, eagerly strove to alter their
determination; they went so far as to present a petition to
the Fathers, begging them to remain ; and, atthe same time,
made liberal offers of aid and money. Even the daily
newspapers of Louisville ignorant of the new field opened
to their zeal in Fordham, and suspecting that they were
forced to leave against their will, broke out into loud in-.
vectives against the ecclesiastical superiors. Bishop Flaget
was deeply grieved at the thought of losing the Fathers
whom he esteemed so highly, but finding it impossible to
alter their determination, called in the priests of the Holy
Cross; who took possession of the College of St. Mary's.
The uncompleted edifice at Louisville was sold back to the
original owners of the property.
As the minds of some were not a little excited on the
subject of our entering St. John's, and even the students
seemed to entertain a dread of having Jesuit teachers, itwas not deemed advisable that all should start at once.
Accordingly, towards the close of April, 1846, two Fathers
were despatched to Fordham and incorporated with the
then existing Collegiate staff. ,
�34
New York alltl Cmrat{a JT!issiou.
The device succeeded to perfection: the hearts of the students were soon won by the kindness of the Fathers ; and
the parents, were, in a short time, happy to have their
children receive the food of instruction from the hands of
the Jesuits. Though the College had been opened in I84I,
on the 24th of June,* feast of its Patron, St. John the
Baptist, it was only on July I 5th, I ~46, a few months after
the arrival of the two Fathers who had been sent to prepare the way for the rest, that it celebrated its first annual
commencen:.ent since the reception of its charter. At the
conclusion of the exercises on that occasion, the Rt. Rev.
Bishop Hughes, but lately returned from Europe, after
praising in the most cordial terms the members and labors
of the Society, unfolded his whole design to the audience.
The I:'athers had no longer anything to fe;:~.r; by the end of
August the entire transfer had been effected, and Rev. Fr.
A. Thebaud entered on his duties as President of the College.
Fr. Thebaud was the fourth who sat in the presidential
chair-. The present Archbishop of New York, a man universally esteemed for his talents and amiability, had been
taken from his pastoral duties at St. Joseph's Church, N.Y.,
.to be the first President, as well as ;Professor of Rhetoric
and Belles-Lettres. He was succeeded in I842 bythe Rev.
Ambrose Manahan, D. D., who was in tum replaced by the
Rev. John Harley. On the first staff of the College, we find,
as Professor of Latin, the name of Mr. John J. Conroy,t
now Bishop of Albany, whilst the present Archbishop of
Baltimore, J. Roosevelt Bayley, was acting president under
Fr. Harley, who accompanied Bishop Hughes to Europe in
hope of finding health.
The College was not the only institution on the estate,
for in 1840, the Bishop had transferred thither from Lafargeville, and had placed under the invocation of. St. Joseph, his
.
1
*De Courcy, Cath. Church in U. 8. c. xxv. p. 240.
t Hassard, Life of Archbishop Hughes, c. xiv, p. 252.
�1Vcw York and Canada ivlission.
35
diocesan Seminary. The seminarians at first ·occupied a
small stone building North-west of the College, but in 1845,
were laid the foundations of the beautiful fortress-like
building which they afterwards occupied. The same year,
the indefatigable Bishop began the erection of the Church
adjoining the Seminary; and he has left us a convincing
proof of his zeal for the house of God, as well as his good
taste and love of the fine arts in the stained glass windows
which he had made to order at St. Omers, France, express._
ly to beautify the temple he was raising to his Maker. The
Apostles St. Peter and St Paul and the four Evangelists are
depicted in the six windows, three on each side. The figures are executed in the best style of modern stained-glass;
they stand on floriated Gothic pedestals of gold, surmounted
by a rich canopy of the same, while at the foot of the
pedestal is a golden escutcheon containing the name of the·
Saint.*
St. Joseph's Seminary was not sold with the College, but
remained under the control of the Bishop for a number of
years, though our Fathers were employed in it as Professors
of Theology. As the number of the Fathers was too
small to suffice for all the branches of instruction taught
both in the College and Seminary, aid was asked from the
Society in Europe. Among the Fathers that responded to
the call was our late Reverend Fr. Charles Maldonado, whose
devoted labors in our mission for a number of years, later
gave us a right to wreathe at least a few flowers into the
garlands that already twine around his tomb-and this right
we dearly prize. We look upon it, in fact, as a real blessing
to have had among us so perfect a type of the true Jesuit;
for, as says his Obituary in a back number of the LETTERS,
"he was eminently," and we would add, emphatically, "the
c/zild of the Society; t and to say this is, we think, to
strike the key-note of his character.
------------------
* R. Bolturi, Jr.
t
History of the County of,Vestchester, vol. ii, p. 331.
Vol. i, N 0. 3, p. 202.
WOODSTOCK LETTERS,
�NeuJ York and Canaaa Jlfission.
It has ever been impossible for us to associate the idea of
advanced age with the pleasing image of Fr. Maldonado,
which our memory loves to trace. Even his depth of
learning could not make one forget his "innocent playfulness;" nay, it was this latter quality that first struck the
beholder, and to discover the former, one had to pierce
this ·exterior surface and sink down into the well-stored
mind. Yet we would not intimate that he stro<•c to hide his
learning, that would imply a strain at variance with his·
open guileless character; he merely seemed to ignore its
existence, a~d
"Unconscious as the mountain of its ore,
Or rock of its inestimable gem."
without any effort concealed what cost him such persevering efforts to acquire.
That simplicity so charming should be found united with
eruditiQn so va~t might seem, at first, a matter of surprise;
and yet these qualities far from being opposed, may be almost~ said to form but one, or at least to be as closely
linked together as cause to effect. For surely, stainless
must be the soul that produced so spotless a flower; and
the purest of hearts the only possible sanctuary where such
dove-like innocence could nestle ...-~ow it is the special
privilege of the pure of heart to see God; to contemplate
the very source of all wisdom and knowledge.
To say that with so attractive a disposition, Fr. Maldonado endeared himself to all the inmates of St. John's,
both young and old, students and Professors, would be
simply to note the application to the moral order of those
facts of nature our meads and prairies daily exhibit: that
the sweet-brier and honey-suckle are sought alike by our
sober-suited songsters, and sportive humming-birds.
Fr. Maldonado returned with interest the affection of
which .he was the object; and Fordham and its associations
so interlaced themselves around his heart that it was ever
after his delight to revisit the scenes of his first home in
America.
�New York and Canada A1i'ssion.
37
It is no doubt to these lingering memories that we scho-.
lastics are indebted for the happy hours we spent in his
company, only a few days before death snatched him from
us. After suffering himself to be enticed from his quiet
retreat of study and prayer at Woodstock, to spend a few
days in our Mission, he consented to join us at Fort Hill;
and during his short sojourn in our midst, his innocent
simplicity of character seemed to reveal itself by traits
.more charming than ever, as he was approaching the time
when this very quality was to be his passport to the arms
·of the Saviour who has said: "Unless you become as little
children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
It was indeed a sight we shall never forget to behold the
learned divine, successor of Suarez in the chair of Theology
at Salamanca, seated on the boards of our piazza, and looking with an all-absorbed gaze on the sprightly gambols of
a little pet squirrel in his wire cage. With what delight he
would eye the "little fellow," as he called him, and every
now and then as the little prisoner exhibited some new
antic, some bold feat of agility, break out with: "Nonne
Mirandum !" It was the man of prayer finding matter for
wonder and amazement in the smallest of God's creatures.
So much of the spirit of St. Francis of Assisium did
we see in our beloved guest that we would hardly have
been surprised, if while he strolled along with us through
our shady woods, the birds that twittered and circled round
him had ceased their warbling, and alighting on his shoulders
and hands remained motionless and attentive to his words,
till, as St. Francis,* he had dismissed them with the sign of
the cross.
Why should it not be so? when on innocent man
"all things smiled :"
and when around Adam and Eve
*Life of St. Thomas Aquinas, by R. B. V ::mghan. Vol. I. c. 5, St.
Francis and St. Dominic.
�New York aud Canada Jlfissi01i.
"as they sat recline
On the soft downy bank damasked with flowers,
frisking played
All beasts of th'earth, since wild, and of all chase
In wood or wilderness, forest or den.':*
Buf it was of little moment to him that the birds of our
forests should cluster around him, when he was so soon to
be surrounded by beings of far fairer wing, of far sweeter
1
note than any this poor world can boast of; when the very
angels of God were so soon to welcome him into the Divine
Presence. Truly of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.
But to return to St. John's. Rose Hill, as the estate was
called on which the College stood, and which for a time
gave its name to the. institution * was a lo\·ely spot, that
would have charmed even a far less genial converser with
Nature than our dear Fr. l\Ialdo.nado. In front of the stone
building that capped a gentle eminence, stretched, with easy
descent, a beautiful lawn some twenty acres in extent, and
up and down this verdant slope the playful breezes seemed
never to tire of chasing each other in mazy pursuit. Nor
has time made them less sportive, for, now, as well as. then,
from the College porch, especially of a morning in early
Spring, when the soft green texture of each velvet blade is
just fresh from Nature's loom, and the whole lawn glistens
with its myriad drops of sun-lit de\;; at a moment when
led by the breeze,
The vivid verdure runs,
one is easily charmed into the belief that Nature has suddenly reversed before his eyes Nero's astounding pageant,
the solid earth seeming to have suddenly disappeared, and
himself to be actually gazing on the wavy ripplings of the
sea.
Along the edge of this mimic ocean, like so many giant
cliffs, forest-crowned, merging from the waves, rose tall and
*Paradise Lost. Bk. IV. and Bk. VIII.
tIt was for some time known as Rose Hill College. Bayley Cath.
Church inN. Y. p. 106, Note.
·
..
,
·
�.New York and Ccmada .Mission.
39
majestic some mag·nificent elms, the grafts of wl~ich,-so
the proprietors were fond of telling-had been brought in
Dlden times from Holyrood Palace, the once noble residence
.(,f the Scottish Sovereigns, and witness to the many woes,
as well as hallowed by the sublime virtues of the saintly
1\Iary Queen of Scots.
Nearer the College a clump of the same towering trees,
ca~t its refreshing shade, like a wooded Island bosomed in
the ocean; and just in front of the marble steps leading to
the entrance, an aged weeping-\~ill~w gnarled and grote~que,
drooped to the very earth-beautiful image of old age repentant.
In the rear of the edifice lay a large and productjve
·f;u·m reaching to the verge of aq extensive wood, through
which, as liquid boundary of the property, glided the peaceful Bronx,
"now fretting o'er a rock,
Now scarcely moving through a reedy pool,
Now ~tarting to a sudden stream, and now
Gently diffused into a limpid plain." *
Besides these rural beauties with which Nature had adorned
the environs of St. John's, the part of Westchester county
in ·which it lay was classic ground-the scene of many a
march and counter-march of the Continental forces in r 776.
"There was hardly a little stream for miles around, hardly
:a grass-grown lane," says the biographer of Archbishop
Hughes, "which had not been the scene of conflict; hardly
an old house with which some thrilling incident of the war
.was not associated; hardly a commanding hill upon which
the antiquary might not still trace the marks of an ancient
camp, or the lines of a ruined fortification." t
Fordham Heights especially, a ridge of hills little more
than a stone's throw in front of the College grounds, were
celebrated as being the position occupied by Gen. Wash~·Thomson's
Seasons-Summer, li. 481.
t Address delivered before the Historical Association of St. John's
College, Dec. 3rd, 1863, by J. R. G. Hassard.
6
�40
1Vew York and Cimada JTfissiou.
ington previous to the battle which took place at White
Plains, about thirteen miles farther north,.on October 28th.
1776. It was probably at this time, while th.e Commanderin-chief was directing in person some of the movements o'f
the Americans, that he, according to a popular tradition.
passed the night in the old wooden farm-house to the left
of the College. The sister tradition, however, which points
to the parlor of the same cottage as the place in which
\Vashingtonsigned the death-warrant of Major Andre, a
legend to "Y,hich the students clung with patriotic tenacity,
is, accordin~i' to the same writer just mentioned, "most certainly untrue; as Fordham at the time of Andre's execution, was within the British lines."
In fact, after the battle of White Plains, Gen. Howe, the
English commander, took p0ssession of the fortifications
along the Heights, which the Americans had abandoned.·
and kept them till the end of the war.
·
There exists still another traditionary legend, on which
most .probably the same verdict of "unfounded" must be
passed: it is that \Vashington once fastened his charger to
the old willow above described. And well, perhaps, it is
for the aged tree not to have this new. title to renown, else.
instead of exciting the admiration of all pass.ers-by on account of its strongly-developed and characteristic bumps,
. with life enough in it to put forth its pendant verdure for
years to come, it might have met the £1.te of the Royal Oak.
whose thick foliage sheltered for a whole day the Cavalier
King, saved him from the Roundheads in hot pursuit, and
was, as history relates, afterwards destroyed to satisfy the
veneration of the Cavaliers.*· Still even this tradition may
be true, for that an engagement, in which \Vashington himself, perhaps, was present, must have taken place much
nearer to Rose Hill than that of White Plains, nay, most
probably on the estate itself, is evident from the large
gr~ssy mound covering the remains of a number of soldiers,
* Lingard.
Hist. of Engl., Vol. x, p. 336.
�JVcw York and Canada "lfission.
41
which formed a very conspicuous object on the North side
of the lawn, and ~m which the people even now look with
~reat reverence.
The quiet Bronx itself had its warlike associations, having been once the ouly barrier that separated the contending
.umies; f<;>r in those days, before mills and dams had encroached upon its copious waters, it was cousidered a
sufficient obstacle to stay a hostile force. Besides, when it
l1ad passed the Coliege property, it had already travelled
fi.)r miles through the valley it f~rtilizes, to which it gives
its name, and many a time must it have hushed its watert'
into deeper stillness as it met in its course some hallowed
spot, where heroes fought and bled. Many an act of noble .
daring must it have seen in those by-gone days, when, too,
it was the only witness of the de.ed, and the ·rocks on its.
banks the only herald, by their echo, of the valorous shout
or encouraging cheer of man to man. Many a purple rill
of patriot blood must have trickled through the valley and
fouud its way to the peaceful bed of the river, dyeing its
crystal waters; and many a wounded soldier must have
dragged himsdf to its edge to cool his fevered lips, and
whisper, perhaps, a faint farewell to its gently gliding waves,
in the frenzied hope that they might bear it along on their
rippling crests to the loved ones far away.
Even after the jarring sounds of war were hushed by the .
peace of 1783, Rose Hill was still connected with those
who had fought our battles, being the residence of Colonel
John ·watts, who had married the celebrated Lady Mary
.Alexander, daughter of Major-General Lord Stirling, whose
claims to the peerage, however, were not acknowledged by
the House of Lords.
Such then was the new field of labor on which our
Fathers entered in 1846, and though they had encountered
many difficulties in the realization of their plan, they were
soon greatly consoled by the piety of thc students entrusted
to their care. Among the hundred and fifty students on
�42
Ne-w York and Canada Jfissio!t.
the College roll, were, as we learn from the Annual Letters
of those days many really devout children, and very loving
clients of the Blessed Virgin. Animated with a zeal uncommon at their age, they had formed a. Society for the
conversion of sinners, and recommended to each other's
prayers, one a father who had neglected his religious duties,
another a mother still outside the true Church, etc. The
prayers of these innocent souls were very efficacious, and
in, a short time five Protestants, for whom they had been
petitioning the Almighty, entered the one Fold of Christ;
and two hardened sinners returned to a better life.
Far from being an obstacle to their studies, their piety
only took another form when there was question of preparation for class, and showed itself in serious application to
their books. · The next annual commencement, which took
place "under the elms," in July, 1847, the first since the
Coilege had been entrusted to our .Fathers, gave abundant
evidence of the students' progress. The programme comprise2 five dis•:ourses, two of which, at least, seem to have
beeri really extraordinary. One, which, says the annalist,
surpassed all expectation, was in Latin, and entitled: "De
Latinae Linguae Laudibus," "ipsa laude dignissima," adds
the MS. The other was in Englis4..'and was graced with
the novel heading: "Nothing Originai:" yet so very origi. nal did it prove to be-saving the paradox-that two Protestant papers deemed it worthy of a verbatim transcription
the following day. An orchestra from the city added its
charms to the other attractions of the occasion, and the
two thousand spectators, including a large number of the
clergy, were loath to leave the spot, where the productions
of science and art to which they had listened, were only
outdone by the beauties of Nature which greeted their eyes
wherever they turned. Thus were inaugurated those annual
festivities now so well known in the vicinity of New York,
~nd al~ays so welcome to the many friends and alumni of
St. John's.
(To be continued.)
�"FIFTIETH ANNIV'Y OF THE MISSOURI PROV.
CELEBRATION AT THE NOVITIATE.
The Feast of our Holy Founder was a day of unparalleled
solemnity and rejoicing for the quiet commu~ity at St.
Stanislaus.
From far and near, the old and the young, Fathers
as well as Scholastics, had gathered ~owards the parent roof, beneath which the"y had been born to the religious life and grown into maturity, until they had gone
forth- with a mother's benediction upon them-strong in
generous resolves and fired with pious aspirations.. For
days in advance, the Novices had looked forward to this
meeting, and prepareq a family festival for their elder
brothers returned to them, for a few brief hours, from the
harvest field of souls. Almost the first thing that greeted
the stranger, as he approached the hous.e by the stonepaved walk, were two long rows of tables, arranged in the
form of an Egyptian cross, beneath the shade of a few
straggling locust-trees, and completely surrounded by a sort
of dais or raised platform of boards. Close by, suspended
from the interlacing boughs, waved a white banner-unsuggestive, perhaps, to the Casual visitor, but full of significaqce
for the invited guests. For it bore on one side, in letters
of green, the sacred monogram "I. H. S.," and on the other
the words, "Prov. Mo., 1823-1873," marking an interval
of fifty years.
It was the "Golden Jubilee" of the Missouri Province, or
the jijtietlz anniversary of its foundation.
The ceremony began by a solemn High Mass, with deacon anq subdeacon. Every available inch of the devotional
�44
Fiftictlt .Amth•crsary of tltc
Jft~·souri PnrvillCt'.
.
.
little chapel, as well as a part of the corridor leading to it,
was occupied, and presented a scene that will not easily
f:1.de from the memory. Those prostrate forms, from the
white-haired veteran to the youngest recruit-sending aloft
their united prayers in response to the solemn notes of the
celebrant and in soft accompaniment to the louder strain,;
of the choir-all spoke a language of their own, which
words cannot translate but which the religious soul in,.;tantly recognises as its mother tongue.
When Mass wa~ finished, the visitors-still under tli.e
elevating in.f:1uence of these sacred ceremonies-withdrew to
the forepart of the house to converse upon the theme that
was then uppermost in every mind. The younger portion
grouped almost instinctively around some older member to
hear from his lips the history of earlier days-of their trials
and dangers, of their labors and fruits, of their struggles
and triumphs. Meanwhile, busy young hands were spreading the festive board under the trees, until a drenching rain
;md threatening sky warned them t.o transfer their prepararations to more protected quarters. They did so, with as
much expedition and religious good grace, as if they had
actually succeeqed in hiding their disappointment even from
themselves. It was not long before ·the sound of the bell
summoned the guests to the familiai'~ld refectory, in which
a plenteous repast had been served up for them. The whole
apartment was filled to overflowing; and the waiters, with all
their dexterity and daily experience, could scarcely succeed
in squeezing their way in betwe!n the almost contiguous
rows. All practically felt the necessity of providing more
ample accommodations for the growing numbers of the community. This want is about to be supplied, and the visitors
had the consolation of taking a part in the initiatory step.
For during the course of the afternoon, they all proceeded in
rank an,d file, amid sacred canticles and prayers, towards
the rear of the house, to attend what is commonly termed
"the laying of a corner-stone."
�r}(tietlz Amziz•ersar;' of tlte
J~fissouri
Province.
45
The new building, which was already finished up to the
table-;:;tone of the foundation, is meant to serve as an addition to the present substantial, but not very capacious.
structure. Very Rev. Father Provincial himself performed
the ceremony of blessing the stone, and fitted into the
neatly-chiselled cavity a tin casket, which containedbesides smaller articles usually enclosed on similar occasions-a parchment with the following inscription :
"0. A. !I. D. G."
"Anno salutis millesimo octingentesimo septuagesimo tertio, regnante
summo Pontifice Pio Nono, vigesimo octavo gloriosi sui Pontificatu~
anno, Adm. Rev. P. Petro Beckx Praeposito Generali Societatis J esu, Archiepiscopo Ludovicensi Petro Richardo, Plur. Rev. P. Thoma O'Neil
Praeposito Provinciae Missourianae, Rev. P. Isidoro Boudreaux Rectore
domus probationis ad Stm. Stanislaum et !Iagistro Novitiorum, Praeside
Statuum Foederatorum Ulysse Grant, Gubernatore Status !Iissouri Sila
L. 'Voodson, Architecto Adolpho Druiding; tempore, quo summus
Pontifex omnibus bonis spoliatus, a cunctis guberniis derelictus vel
impugnatus quasi captivus anno jam tertio in domo Vaticana detinebatnr; tempore quo (legibus iniquissimis, tum in Italia, tum in Germania
et alibi, contra jura Sanctae Ecclesiae latis et religiosis ordinibus praecipue Societate Jesu expulsis), inferni potestates et impiorum machinationes Sanctam Christi Religionem destruere et Societatem Jesu eradicare
totis viribus conabantur: lapis angularis hujns aedificii ad majorem Dei
gloriam ct ad novos socios J esu strenuosque milites pro defensione Religionis et fidei propagatione efformandos solemniter positus est, die trigesimo primo Julii, fcsto Sti. Ignatii, cum anniversarium quinquagesimum a fnndatione Novitiatns et Provinciae !lissonrianae principio,
magno jubilo celebrarctnr, praesentibus:"
Then followed a long list of signatures, from Very Rev.
Father Provincial's down to that of the last admitted
Novice, who still found his long black gown quite as cumbersome as young David found the royal armor.
After the stone had been scaled, an aged Father, who
celebrated the "Golden Jubilee" of his ordination a few
days later-yielding to solicitations, so repeatedly and
so gracefully renewed that it was sweeter to surrender than
to triumph-briskly mounted the walls of the rising edifice
and said a few pithy words of exhortation and advice in
Latin.
�46
.Fiftict!t Annh,crsar;• of t!tc Jfissouri Provine.·.
The speaker's patriarchal age of 76, his fifty years of
priesthood and the very simplicity of his language surrounded him with the halo of other days, and threw a sort
of charm upon the many pious sentiments that he suggested. Here are a few, culled from among others of the
same kind:
"Vos rogastis me, Reverendi Patres Fratresque Chnrissimi, ut dicercm
\·obb aliquid pro vtstra aedificatione. Ego, qui mmimus smn intPr vo~.
tlebuissem potius rogan>, ut vos dignemini me instruere et udjuvare
\'estris exhortationibus, ut diligentior evadam in servitio Dei, et ut sic;
me praeparem "ad pie moriendum. Cum tamen, teste Scriptum Sacm.
heatius sit magis dare quam accipere, ego lubentissime acquievi pet.itionibus vestris. Ista animo volventi occurit caput tertium Act. Apostolorum, ubi S. Lucas narrat de quodam viro qui erat 'claudus ex utero
matris suae ... Petrus aut em dixit: Argentum et aurum non est milti.
quod autem habeo, hoc tibi do ... .'
"Narro to tam seriem istius miraculi, ut in de qua edam verba depromam
quae mihi et vobis applico, 'Argentum,' nempe, 'et ".urum non est mihi.'
Y erb:t haec, in sensu literali, verissima sunt; quid, enim, possidet qui
ligatus est voto paupertatis? Et, in sensu figurato, sunt aeque vera. Qui>:
\lllt!Ua.!_n credidit,aut credere potuit, mihi esse argentum et aurum Sapient iae nempe, ·quo vos doceam et instruam? Absit a me ut tale quid prae~umam. Vos potius magistri mei estis, paratus ego omni tempore discipnlus vester fieri, et ex m'e vestro andire verba eonsolationis et salutis.
::-<i nutPm dicerem me omnino nihil habere, quo vobis utilis esse possum,
veritatem utique non loquerer. Duo eten}ui mihi sunt propria, quae
,-obis omnibus sunt communia, lingua scilicet et cor; lingua qua vos
nlloquor, et cor quo vos amo ct diligo.
"Et primo quoad linguam, non ignobile utique membrum, vobis He·rcrendis Patribus et Fratribns dilectissimis iterum iterumque dico, ut nostris calamitosis temporibus sitis semper et ubique sal terrae et lux
mundi, ut per vestros labores, per vestras virtutes, per vestrum sancte
vivendi- modum, glorificetur Pater noster qui in coelis est. Jam proh
dolor! cum veritate fateri de bemus, quod tot us mundus in maligno positus est, ita ut nostris temporibus ordinaria non amp!ius sufficiat virtus, ut
onmes latentes inimici insidias plene vincamus....
"ltaque tamquam veri filii Societatis simus parati ad proelium, nemini dantcs ullam offensam; sed in omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos
tamquam Dei ministros, in multa patientia, in trilmlationibus si
fbrte, D~o pcrmittente, nobis obveniant. Ut multa paucis complectar,
~hnus omnes, adjuvante Dei gratia, :mgelice casti et sincere humiles.
llumiliamini sub potenti manu Dei ut vos exaltet in tempore tribulationis.
"Dixi me nihil habere nisi linguam et cor, qui bus vobis utilis esse possum. Primum probavi vos exhortando ad virtutem; secundum proba-
�re debeo vos amawlo et diligendo. }[oduui no~ docet dilectu~ ChriHtl
di~cipulus, Sanetus .Joannes.
'Filioli mei.' sic scribit. 'non diligamu,
n•rbo, neque lingua. sed opere et veritate.' .... Diligamus igitur invicem
vero c0nstantiqn" fraternituti~ umore. et vivamus saneta pace uniti, <let
nee intremus regnum ll(.'terni umori:l. Amen."
These words found an echo in every 'heart and were
treasured up as the legacy of a bygone age.*
But there was one present there, in whose memory the
,,·hole scene must have awakened the personal reminis:;ccnces of half a century-one of that courageous band of
young Flemmings, six in number, who forsook their homes
<tnd their country to evangelize the wilds of America, eluded
:the vigilance of their kinsfolk and of a hostile anti-Catho~ ·
lie government, landed upon our shores, poor and lonely
·wayfarers, with nothing but their zeal and the word of a
pious priest to introduce them-enrolled themselves in the
ranks of the resuscitated Society and began their probation
at vVhitemarsh, Maryland ;-then (with their heroic Novicemaster, Father Van Quikenborne, and another Belgian Father by the name of Timmermans as their leaders, and two
Belgian lay-brothers as their companions) sought for a new
lwme in the unexplored regions of the \Vest-journeyed
\or hundreds of miles on foo·t, over rugged mountains and
uncultivated plains-:-descended rapid rivers on treacherous
flatboats-crossed the "Father of Waters" to· enter upon
fields of missionary labor, trodden some fifty years before
by their brethren of the old Society ;-and, finally, after
perils and hardships, never perhaps to be recorded, settled
upon a farm presented to them by Bishop Dubourg, to lay
the first foundation of what is now the Missouri Province.
"The speaker's name is Father James Busschotts, a Flemming, born
.June 22d, 1796, and therefore 77 years of age. He entered the Society,
a;; a I'CCUlur priest, in 1R.'l3, and celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his
onlination on the iith of August, thi~ yetir. 'Ye are indebted for th!'
above extracts to tlw venerable Fatll!'r himself, who kindly wrote them
<>ut and placed thew at our disposal.
7
�48-
Pifiietft Anni<Jcrsar;• of tlie
~if'lissouri
Pro-m-1tce:
For him the events commemorated on that auspiciou ....
day had- a personal significance, which they could not havet,i)r others;. for he might have said of ali of them: ."quorum
f'ars magna jiti:· .~s be stood there, like cr man come
tlown fi·om another generation, with all the venerableness of
age, but without its feebleness, with eye u-ndimmed, with
strength unbrok.en, with the actions of a long life crowding
Into one singfe point of time, that had neither past nor·
future, he might have seemed, for a brief moment, like a
faint image.,<;>fHim, who remains unchanged though everything around has changed, and with one comprehensive·
glance, beholds all the instants of reYofving ages.*
He stood almost upon the very site where, fifty years'
before, he had 'helped to Iay the foundation of another
building, without these imposing ceremonies, or this crowd
nf heirs to perpetuate his labors and his successes. Not
long ago, the first humble cabin raised by Jesuit hands,
was :;till pointed out on the premises at the North-east corner of the new edifice. It was nearly surrounded, during
the summer months, by a rank growth of weeds, with here
and there a stunted peach tree, a neglected flower, or a.
gaily-blooming turnip, to feed the .bees in an adjoining
hive. .There it stood-its two small brick-paved roomshalf buried in the earth and rubbish, accumulated by succeeding yea i-s-a relic too sacred to feel the touch of relentJess progress-a monument, that told the thoughtful Novice
of the work accomplished by his hardy forefather:s. There
"'The Father here alluded to is .Judocu~ V:m A:-~chc, lJorn in lklgium ~Ia_\·
:!8th, 1800, and now o-.er seventy-three year~ of age. He lm~ heen blessetl
by nature with an iron constitution, that ~eem~ unsusceptihiP of the wenr
of declining years, and is still as hardy and supple of limb a~ the youngetit.
He hounds on his horse with the greatest ease and agility, nnd attend><
alone a pretty extensiYe country parish, composed of the Freneh and English speaking inhabitants of St. Ferdinand (alias Flori"'ant) and the
environs.
�F_zjtietlt Anniversary
of tlu J!issou;-i Pnmzntt.
49
was the birthplace of the Missouri PrO\·ince and of t1lc
:-Jovitiate- there had been cast that grain of mustard seed,
·now grown into a tree, beneath whose branches he too l1aii
·taken shelter from the world. There the first Novice-mas·
ter, at the head of his six spiritual children, had divided the
day between prayer and the hardest manual htbor-had
taught some roaming Indian youth tl1e catechism, and the
next hour, perhaps, had plied the axe and mallet to fell of
rive a gnarly oak-had performed the last ministrations of
Teligion. over sm;ne dying French trapper, then borne upon
his shoulders the timber for another dwelling.
And now, after only fifty years, how changed the ,;ccnc ~
Not merely towns, but cities numbering th.ree or four hundred thousand souls, have sprung UfJ around us) and in
many of them we have temples to the living God, one of
which is only second to the Gesu at Rome in the number
of its communions.* Missionary bands traverse the country
from one extremity to the other, to lead back the straying'
sheep and gather new ones into the fold. Three College"
-besides one or two academies.--educate two or three hundred youths each, in the higher branches of study; and,
within the last year or two, they have given us some thirty
or more Novices, most of whom have completed the if
course as far as Philosophy (exclusively) under our own
eyes.
Looking at this youthful family. now so flourishing, those
first fathers might exclaim, if they still lived : "These are
the children which God hath given us." But they have
gone to their reward, with the exception of one lay-brother
and the two oldest Novices of the band, who r.emain to tell
of the virtues and toils of their departed companions.
*This statement is made on the authority ofu Father, long connected
with the Holy PiJ,JIIiiJJ ('!Jur<"il, Chi<"ago. of which tlwrt· is question here.,
ln 1871, the number of IIostR distrihnted ~whieh nre always counted by
the sacristan b('fore being put into the Ciborium) wa~ between 80,000
:md !JO,OOO. It must )Jc larger now; hut we have not at hand the neces:mry documents to verify, and compare· especially with our Churches in
France.
�)0'
Fifiietli Amzizrcrsary
of t!ic
"Tfissouri Prom"nce:
There was not one among them all, whose memory i,.c
not held in benediction, They lived and they died faith-ful sons of Loyola; and all have laid them down at la,;L
to re:-,t at the loot of the cross in the Novitiate, tbe home
t)f their early exploits, now the place of their repo,;c.
Then.~ they sleep, upon that hallowed little mound-prct:ious spot of earth-among the catalpas and weeping-willows, in whose shade the Novices often g•) to tell thei1·
clnpkt and muse upon the devotedness of their Fathers ..
There they sleep-their Master of Novices, Father Van
lJuickcnborrle, still at the head, first in life and first in
tleath. and all the others grouped around him, to be separated ne\•ermore.
Some of them were distinguished men, in the strictest
~enst.: of the word: and all of them have left us much toadmire, and still more to imitate. Fathers Peter Joseph
Verhaegen and John Anthony Elet both filled the office of
Provincial-the latter in Missouri-the former, at different
times._ both in Maryland a!ld in Missouri; Father John
Baptist Smedts was Master. of Novices and afterwards spiritual Father; and Father Peter John DeSmet, who has latel)·
g-one to join them, has finished a career, which the world
itself agrees in styling remarkable.* ..: Their first religious
years were a school of perpetual abnegation and humility
-a ·life of heroic sacrifice, which supplied them with the
most effectual antidote against any rising thought of selfcongratulation and complacency at the success of their efforts. A different, and in many respects, a more dangerous
sphere of action is open to us.
They des.cended, with unconscious magnanimity, from
the manners of the refined and learned among whom they
had been brought up, to the customs of the savage and of
*Om' of the lay-brothers, who nceompanied these Fnthers in their
expeditioi1, also lies buried in the Cemetery at the Novitiate. He wu~
called Henry Reiselman, and acted as infirmarian at the time of hi~
decease, in June, 1857. The other lay-brother, and two :Fathers (Novicet>
at the time of tl;eir arrival in ~Iissouri) nre ~till alive. One of these Fn-
�J.ljtietlz .-lmzh•crsmy
if
tlzc .'J;Jissouri Pro'l,inu.
)r
the untutored settler. Now it is much, if we can raise
ourselves to the level of a society, wh-ich, though but of
yesterday, is perhaps affectedly vain of its polish and education-if we can maintain our ancestral reputation for
learning in the almost daily contact with non-Catholic
minds, keen to gauge intellectual attainments and slow to
approve anything in us but genuine merit-if we can satisfy the demands of a catholic community, which holds.
perhaps, a relatively higher social position here than in any
other part of the Union, and which is therefore beginning
to be daily more and more fastidious, not- only about the
food that we present, but also about the manner in which
we serve it up.
If, however, we know how to read the signs of the
times as well as our laborious forefathers, if we prove ourselves as well qualified for the new exigencies of things
<md combine an equal amount of modest worth and indomitable, untiring energy-it is impossible to overestimate
the results ; for even the bright.est fancy-pictures must fall
far short of the reality. If we are true to ourselves and to
our early traditions, the Novice of 1873 may live to witness changes more astonishing than any hitherto effected,
and tell of a contrast far more striking at the centenary
celebration in NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE.
---~~----------------------
thers is Judocus Van Assche, of whom mention has been already made;
the other~Felix Verreydt, born in 1798, and therefore 75 years old-is
Htationed at Cincinnati. The lay-brother is also at Cincinnati. He is
called Pete1· De :Meyer, and was born in 1793, being at present over
c ighty years of age.
�SKETCH OF THE EARLIEST ~IIKISTRATIOX S
OF THE SOCIETY I~. BALTil\IORE.
Bancroft, speaking of the Jesuit missionarics in North
.'\merica, sa)~S that "the history of their labors is connected
with the o;i"gin of every celebrated town in French America.'' The same cannot be said of the towns "in the United
States, "at least in a material point of view,-nor perhap=of Maryland's .Metropolis among the rest. But certainly
the history of the Society is connected with the origin of
Catholic Baltimore; since, as will be seen, the firsl regular
ministrations performed there were by Our Fathers ; the first
established resident priest there was one of Ours; the firsttwo
Hishgps of the See, which \yas the first erected in the United
States and is still the primatial one, had been members of
the Society at the time of its suppression,. and never lost
their affection for it. Our subject then is certainly an interesting one ; and we regret that we ha? not at hand materials sufficient to enable us to treat it as it deserved. i\o
do~1bt many old documents relating to it lie covered with
dust, in different houses,-to say nothin,; of oral information which may yet be obtained; and we hope they will. be
brought into sen·ice by some one else, to complete thi~
imperfect sketch. All that we have done in it was merely
to give a few facts, taken principally from the few old boob
bearing on the subject, which the resources of \Voodstock
allowed us to consult. \Ve have been indebted most of all
to sketches of the Catholic Church in Maryland, written
many years ago by B. U. Campbell, Esq., of Baltimore, in
the "Religious Cabinet," and "Catholic Magazine," periodicals long since defunct.
�Earliest . Ministrations of tlze Society in Baltimore.
53
Passing over the trifling details of its previous history, it
is ,.;ufficicnt to st~te at the outset that in 17 52 the present
~~reat city of Baltimore consisted of only twenty-five houses
and two hundred inhabitants,-which would make it not
very much larger than our own neighboring insignificant
hamlet of\Voodstock. In I 7 s6 it was reinforced by a colony of the exiled. Acadians, whose pathetic history is bet·
ter known. to the English-speaking world from Longfel~
low's beautiful poem founded on it, than perhaps from any
other source. These forlorn exiles were hospitably re·
ceived by the Baltimorians, and with their arrival Catholic·
ity begins in Baltimore; as it seems that before them very
few if any Catholics were to be fo~nd there. These good
people, as is well known, had a very simple and warm
faith, a~d an unswen;ing attachment to the religion of
their forefathers; and these qualities, heightened by the
heart-rending sufferings inflicted on them in their expul·
sion from their happy homes in Acadie, made them most
suitable for laying the religious foundations of the future
Catholic :Yietropolis of the United States. Some of them
settled on a part of what is now S. Charles St. ; and that
portion of the city, for that reason, was for a long time
known as "French town." Others of them took refuge in
nn unfinished house situated near the site of the pre$ent.
Battle l\Ionument,-at the centre of all the bu~iness and
activity of the city of to-day,-known as Fotterall's building;
of which some account must be given, as in it probably
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was first offered in Baltimore. Griffith, in his "Annals of Baltimore," says of it:
"It was erected about 1740 by Mr. Edward Fotterall, a
gentleman from Ireland, who imported the materials and
erected the first brick house with freestone corners ; the
first which was two stories without a hip-roof, in town."*
*It may be well to state that the hip-roof was an old form of the
present :Mansard roof, so much cried down after the Boston fire; and as
hip-roofs appear to have prevailed in Baltimore at that time, we thus
see that in house-building, as in other matters, fashions repeat themselves.
�54
Earliest Jlimstrations of the
_<.,~ocicf)'
in h'a!timor<.
It may be seen in an old picture of ''Baltimore as it was in
1752," a copy of which hangs in the Fr. :Minister's room at
Georgetown College, and which has lately been reproduced
for a new book on the history and present condition and
resources of Baltimore. This house was not designed or
built for a church or chapel ; but the proprietor returning
to Ireland, where he died, left it in an unfinished state; and
,;orne of the Acadians above-mentioned, finding it abandoned, lodged themselves in such of its rooms as were
habitable. -J.n one of these, and sometimes also in a house
on S. Charles St., Mass was said when a priest was among
them. One account says that they enjoyed the presence
of one for some time, tht; Rev. l\lr. Leclerc ; but who he
was, where he came from, whether he came along with
them and was perhaps identical with Longfellow's Fathet·
Felician, docs not appear. l\lr. Campbell makes no mention of. him. \\'e hear of him only from the Abbe Robin.
\vho published in 1782 an account of his travels in America while attached to the army of the Count de Rochambeau as chaplain ; and De Courcy who cites him, yet
,;peaks unfavorably· of his book ; while at the same time
we have found some of the statements in it about Mr.
Leclerc to be contradictory to Campbell's, on which there
seems to be reason to rely. If Mr. Leclerc was in Baltimore, he probably did not remain long, and after his departure the Catholics there had to depend on the visits of
Our Fathers from the residence at vVhitemarsh, who were
therefore their first regularly attending clergymen. Such
being the case, \Vhitemarsh naturally deserves more than
a passing mention in our sketch. And first a few facts of
~laryland colonial history will not perhaps be out of place.
Lord Baltimore. as is well known, established religious
toleration as the corner-stone of his settlement in the Ne\\.
World: the settlers being prip.cipally Catholics who had
fled from the persecutions to which their Religion was
subject in the Old. . The other· colonies stood in need of so
�Earliest }Jifinistratio!ls of tltc
Socie~y
ill Haltimore.
---
''
salutary an example, since in all of them religious bigotry
. and proscription prevailed to a greater or less extent
The most bitter preju,dices against Catholics existed even
in the adjoining colony of Virginia, afterward the home of
\Vashington and Jefferson and l\Iarshall, and in our time
the State on whose soil Know-nothingism received its
death-blow. The benign concessions of Lord Baltimore's
government, however, were at length abused by those
whom they benefited most. The Protestants, having increased in numbers, upset the religious toleration to which
they owed their entrance intD the CD!ony; in 1692 the
Church of England was made the established church of
i\Iaryland, and afterward the most oppressive laws were enacted against Catholics. These laws wc::re more or less in
force until the approach of the American Revolution, when
<til religious differences were forgotten in the desire for na·
tiona! independence. They forbade, among other things,
public Catholic Churches; and when old St. Peter's Church
in Baltimore, of. which we must soon speak, was built in
1771, there was nDt, it is believed, a public Catholic Church
in the state. An exception, however, to the general prohibition of Catholic worship, allowed it to be practised
in private houses or on private estates. Availing themselves of this privilege, Our Fathers, who, at the time of
which we are writing, were the only priests in Maryland, had on each of the several farms which they had acquired, a private chapel connected with the residence, to
which the Catholics of the neighborhood came, to hear
Mass and receive the sacraments. Such was the case at
Whitemarsh, where the Society had a farm, which still re·
mains in its P?Ssession, and where there is at present a
residence and Church. It is situated about twenty miles
from Washington and about the same distance from Baltimore, and was never accessible by railway until the construction lately of the Balto. and Potomac Railroad, which
passes quite near.
8
�56
Earliest 111imstrations of tlie Society· in Ba!iiinorl':.
\Vhitemarsh is a historic place in more respects then one:.
lt was the seat of the· first Novitiate in the United State~·
after the Restoration of the Society ;.and from its hallowed:
precincts started fifty years ago the small band who were·
to found the Province of 1\Iissouri.~It is in the same county, and not many miles distant from the birthplace of the
first Archbishop of Baltimore; to whose future See it was
supplying its first regularly attending priests while he was
undergoing in Europe the long course of preparatory training in tl1e SBciety.
It seems to have been a forerunner of Baltimore in ecclesiastical importance,-a sort of Catholic capital of the
United States in the first days 0f their independe nee.
There, after the Rc\·olution, several meetings were held of
the clergy of Maryland and Pennsylvania, all late members
of the Society, and comprising by far the greater part of the
priests in the Thirteen Colonies, for the purpose of consulting about the constitution of the Church in the new Republic, and of taking steps to communicate their sentiments to
Rome; the result of these meetings having been the appointment by the Pope of Father John Carroll as ecclesiastical superior,-a prelude to his subsequent appointment
as first bishop of the newly created'·See of Baltimore.
\Vhitemarsh, however, has lost all its ancient importa nee, and offers now one of the many instances of the
vicissitudes of human things. More than forty years ago
the Novitiate was removed from its bos01i1 to Frederick ;
Baltimore, which, while a mere village, depended on it in
spirituals, has grown into a great city, of a hundred thousand Catholic population ; and \Vhitemarsh is now as unimportant a mission as Baltimore was in .the days of its
infancy.
At what time precisely the Fathers from Whitemarsh
began'their visits to the Town of Baltimore, we could not
ascertain. It seems probable that they began them shortly
afte: the year I 7 56, and continued them until 1784, when
�,Earliest 1llinzstrations of t7te Society in 13a?timore.
~
57
resident priest was appointed, as we shall see. It does
.not appear either what Fathers attended during all that
_period, nor at what intervals of time. Mr. Campbell gives
,;orne -information which he obtained from speaking with
.a gentleman who had been, in 1768, a member of the
-congregation in Fotteraii's building, above-mentioned; of
which it may be interesting to remark, as it :was probably
the scene of the first l\Iass in Baltimore, that it was situa~
ted but a very short distance from the spot where Loyola
College was opened in 1852, on Holiday St., before the
-erection of the present College and Church on Calvert St.
The visiting priest fmm \Vhitemarsh at that date was
Rev. John Ashton, S. J., and his visits were monthly, reminding .us at \Voodstock of the monthly visits of our Fr.
· \Iinister to the mission of Sykesville, eight miles from
here. On those occasions Fr. Ashton brought with him
the vestments and sacred vessels used in the celebration of
\'lass.
A room in the lower story of the neglected
building was arranged for the purpose,-care having been
.taken first of all to drive ·out the hogs, which habitually
made their home there. A temporary altar of the rudest
description was erected each time. The congregation, con-;isting principally of the Acadians and some few Irish
Catholics, sometimes amounted to no more than twenty
and seldom exceeded forty persons.-To state the few
facts that we know about Fr. Ashton ; he was born in
Ireland in 1742, according to Oliver's collection, was admitted into the Society in 1759, and was first on the mission
in Yorkshire.
He must have been a man of business
Ltlent; as, at the assembly of the clergymen of Maryland
-and Pennsylvania, late members of the suppressed Society,
<.:onvcned at \Vhitemarsh in 1784, he was unanimously
dwsen procurator-general, whose duty it was to preside
over the maHagement of the various estates of the clergy:
subsequently, too, he was appointed to superintend the
building of Georgetown College in 1788. He died in
Maryland in 1814 or 1815.
�58· E;1rliest ilfinistrations of t!tc Society in Ba!tiinore:
It will be of special interest to those at Woodstock to•
know that the \Vhitemarsh missionaries, in their pastoral
visits to Baltimore, did not go there directly, but by a
roundabout course, taking Doughoregan Manor on the
way, where they said Mass in the private chapel attached
to the house; this having been one of the· various stations
existing at the time in Maryfand for the Catholics who·
lived at a distance from the residences of the priests.
Doughoi-egan Manor, or "the Manor," as we call it at
\Voodstock, is the old residence of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and ''is oniy three or four miles distant from here~
It is the original Carrollton, whose lkl.me the illustrious Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence appended
to his signature, to distinguish him from all other Charles
Carrolls, when he staked all his vast fortune on the cause of
the Colonies. It is still occupied by a descendant ofhis, Hon.
John Lee Carroll, and kept by him in excellent condition.
All newcomers at Woodstock propose sooner or later to
pay it a visit; and it is certainly an object of attraction,
with its beautiful avenues, shaded by tn~es,-the fine lawn
in front of the house,-the old manorial mansion itself,
sumptuous in its conveniences but I}Ot modern in appearance,-and the pretty little church:a_ttached, which has a
regular congregation, ministered to by a priest residing at
the Sulpitian Petit .)eminairc of St. Charles, near by. This
chapel contains the remains of the venerable Signer; and
the historic interest of his name is the greatest of the
attractions of the Manor which was his home. But it, as
weli as the places around, ought to have additional interest
for us in our holiday walks, on account of their associations with the journeys of Our Fathers a hundred years
ago and more, to supply the spirituai wants of the future
Catholic Metropolis of the United States. Perhaps, even,
it is n~t an improbable conjecture that they sometimes
passed by Woodstock; it may be, to attend some Catholics
who chanced to be in this direction,-or to vary their
�.Father De Smtt.
59
route to Baltimore, especially as it was only about half the
distance from the Manor that they had travelled already
from \Vhitemarsh. If that be true, after the suppre,;sion of the
Society, which took place during the period of the \Vhitemarsh attendance on Baltimore, we may imagine the Jesuit
missionary riding along here, thinking gloomily of the sad
event ; and we can think how easily he might have been
consoled if he could have foreseen the future a. hundred
years thence of that hill rising abruptly from the river,then covered with impenetrable undergmwth,-now cleared
and levelled and ornamettted, and bearing on its summit
a prosperous Schola,;~icate of the re~tored Society.
(To be continued.)
FATHER DE SMET.-HIS SERVICES TO THE
SOCIETY AND HIS RELIGIOUS LIFE.
Another of Missouri's pioneer Jesuits has gone to his
reward, another of its early light:; has disappeared forever
from the horizon, another of its best known champions has
finished the struggles of his eventful life.- Father De
Smet has entered upon his last long journey to return no
more.
•
The news of his demise has been borne on the wings of
the lightning across two distant continents; and many nonCatholic as well as Catholic periodicals have deemed it
their duty to extol the departed as a benefactor of human- .
ity, and to give an extended record of his deeds. He un-
�6o
Fat!tcr De Smct.
doubtedly rendered signal services to society at large
during· the last thirty-five years of his life; and the world
has been candid enough to acknowledge its indebtedness.
He led a public life; and the ordinary reader has long
been familiar with its history. Its princip1l incidentshis birth in 1801, his studies in the episcopal semin:uy at
Mechlin, his flight from his native country, his twenty-one
\·oyages across the Atlantic, his frequent expeditions to the
Indians, the missions of peace and conciliation with which
he was entrusted by our government, the lingering and
cruel illnes-:rthat finally bore him to the tomb on the 23rd
of l\Iay I 873-all these, besides many interesting details
published by himself, have become a sort of public property and passed into the domain of gt>neral history. It is
not our province to repeat them or to dwell upon what
every one knows.
But Father De Smet rendered special services to his
religious brethren, which it was not easy to appreciate at
their _full value so long as we enjoyed his presence, yet
which it is only meet to record with becoming gratitude,
now that he has passed from among us. He led a religious
life, whose truly edifying traits were not fully known even
to those who approached him mo:;t' familiarly, yet which
should not. be allowed to disappear in .our admiration of his
public virtues.
These services to his brethern were mainly due to his·
own peculiar influence and relations with the outer world.
It is true that, in common with his companions, he lent his
robust frame and giant strength to lay the foundations of
the Society in the \Vest. But he built up his Province
much n~ore eij'iciently by the resources and the members
that he procured for it on the other side of the waters.
When he pleaded in his native Flanders, on behalf of the Indian missions or of the gro\ving Church in the new world. he
was ce;tain to meet with a favorable hearing ... The wealthy
opened their purst;s to contribute from their. abundance;
�~at!tcr
De Smd.
6!
and the fervid youths in the Colleges and Semitlarieslistencd with burning cheek and throbbing heart, until
they had resolved to follow him and to spend themselve,.;
in the service of the Church among the Indians or among
the equally destitute \'lhites beyond the sea. It was thus
that, in the beginning, we received so large an influx of
those sturdy Flemings, whose panegyric St. Francis Xavier himself has left written. Strong and muscular in
body, frank and open in character, ready to accommodate
themselves to the customs of their adopted country, remarkable for their practical good sense and gifted with
more than ordirury facility for acquiring a knowledge of
English, tbey formed in those early days the thews and
• sinews, the bone and marrow of the Missouri Province.
Father De Smet.exercised the same ascendency over the
greatest minds and most prominent characters in our own
country, and his credit with them was always used in the
interest of the Church and of the Society. What political
prejudice or religious bigotry would have refused as an act
of strictest justice to the whole body, policy or a sense of
innate gratitude readily conceded to his individual representations. How· many embarrassments we have thus
been spared, only they can understand who have followed
the history of the various political parties and factions of
the Republic, often friendly but just as often hostile to the
Church and to the religious qrders. We owe him an eternal debt of gratitude for his many and well-timed remonstrances.
Father De Smet rendered